The concept of „S.O.S. Notebook “is producing A5 sized notebooks with formulas and rules of different subjects for high school students. There would be 10 different kinds of notebooks with different subjects like physics, mathematics, chemistry, Danish, German, English, literature, biology, history and geography. Notebooks would also contain games (Sudoku, crosswords, and drawings), advertisements from student organizations and companies, information about events and other relevant information for students. Finance of the notebooks would come from advertisements that the notebooks consist and the Notebooks will be handed to students for free to use.
Background information

Name: „S.O.S. Notebook“
Website: SOSnotebook.com
Established: 17.03.2014
Phone: +45 91267497
E-mail: ottoppimine@gmail.com
The Executive Board members:
Equity: 61000 DKK
Owners, their share of the capital:
The company's field of activity:
Education
The company's area of operation:
Denmark

Executive summary
This business plan provides an overview of our business concept about educational studying tool named „ S.O.S. Notebook“. There would be 10 different kinds of notebooks with different subjects like physics, mathematics, chemistry, Danish, German, English, literature, biology, history and geography. Notebooks would also include games (Sudoku, crosswords), advertisements from student organizations and companies, information about events and other relevant information for students. In addition our business will include predictions of the market situation, budgets, financial situation, target segment etc.
We used different ways of collecting data for discovering useful information and supporting decision making. Desk research combined with face to face market research. Internet has been a big tool that we used for collecting information and data for the business plan: prices, quantity of raw-material, number of produced materials/notebooks etc.
Results of data analysed show that the current market is in need for a study tool that could help students to study more efficiently and effectively. Our innovative, but simple studying tool is one in a kind in the current market in Denmark. By collecting quantitative data we found different webpages and sources for ordering notebooks for the best price (13000 for 20000 pcs.).
The business plan sums up our ideas about the business concept and our future plans. We found that the market is opened for a new study tool like ours and it is possible to advertise it to all of our target segments. We found that the company’s prospects in the current position are positive. The major areas of weaknesses require future improvements and thinking through.
Recommendations discussed include:
· Our partners can gain a great platform for reaching students by giving them relevant information and advertising themselves/their products.
· „The Notebook” will have a new, fresh and inviting image as a product and trademark.
· Our product will be handed out for free for students in high-schools and public libraries.
· Notebooks will include rules and formulas controlled and endorsed by experts of their study field
· Our idea is to create a low-cost start-up and operating budget to have the best chances for succeeding.
Limitations of the business plan
We do not have connections with local investors. Finding a location for the office and warehouse can be difficult. Language barrier – None of the founders of the company speaks Danish. Founders of the company do not have actual business experience as leading and running a company. The start-up money and equity of the business is low.

Personal resources and goals
In this part we would like to show our personal interest about the business, and what reasons keep us that positive and enthusiastic all the time. We have also collected what resources we have by now, and what are those which need some improvement or further thinking.
Our main goals are:
- To gain profit
- To be a trustful and well-known brand in the market
- To make the notebook as a „respected” study tool among students (not like the expensive books that they just throw away, and does not take care)
- widen the target segment in the future (reach universities as well)
Let us see what kind of positive and negative characters we have by now.
We have the basic educational background and the knowledge about start-up businesses. We also speak several kinds of foreign languages which can help us in the future to move forward more foreign markets or to make connections with foreign suppliers/partners. Since we came from different countries and we have different cultures, we are multicultural and we are able to communicate, negotiate and make partnerships in an international environment. Moreover, we also got used to it because we are living abroad two years from now. We are also young, which means we have lots of idea and we are very innovative and up-to-date. We are energetic, confident and open minded as well.
The hardest point in our business is to find the first companies who are interested in investing in our business and being advertised in our notebooks. Since it is a totally new concept, we would like to make the companies believe that it is a good investment, (and we really think it is), because we are trying to reach students at all high schools in Denmark, which means we have a very big target group. We are uninformed about the actual business laws in the country, and we do not have any partners whose mother tongue is Danish so we really need to find someone who is also good with the laws and speak the language as well.
All in all, with our energy and enthusiasm, we only need to find those people who really believe in us and in our plans so together we could bring a new and popular study tool into the market.
Business development
Business appearance
Business appearance is important part of business development, which will state a strong argument about the well-being, leadership, and management of the company. As we judge people according to their appearance, we do to businesses. Below you can see our hopes for our business appearance in one and three years.
Business appearance in 1 year:
- Appreciated and reliable business in Denmark
- Trustable and always delivers their promises
- Trending trademark
- Has taken a remarkable market share from their competitors
- Gain trust and recognition of students and costumers
Business appearance in 3 years:
- Well-known trademark
- Known for its unique design and reliable formulas
- To be one of the top sellers of notebooks
- Accurate on delivery
- Well-developed webpage, Facebook fan page and promoting materials
Product
The purpose of “S.O.S Notebook” business idea is to introduce on the market a new educational tool for high-school students. The business offers the following products/lines/services:
1: A5 notebooks
2: Formulas and rules for different school subjects
3: Advertisements
4. Sudoku/Crosswords
5. Points drawing for children
6. Relevant information for students
„S.O.S. Notebook “is A5 sized notebooks with formulas and rules of different subjects for high-school students. There would be 10 different kinds of notebooks with different subjects like physics, mathematics, chemistry, Danish, German, English, literature, biology, history and geography. Notebooks would also consist games (Sudoku, crosswords, and drawings), advertisements from student organizations and companies, information about events and other relevant information for students. Below you can find technical information of the product, our product in 1 and our product in 3 years.
Technical information:|
Format: A5Content: lined (23 lines) or squared (5 x 5 mm)Pages: 36 Sheets|
Our product in 1 year:
- A5 notebooks
- Well designed
- Formulas and rules
Our product in 3 years:
- A5 and A4 notebooks
- Diaries
- Rulers
- More developed design
- Formulas and rules (Corrected by recognized organizations and teachers)
Product life span
Even though the formulas and rules of subjects will not have magnificent changes in the next few years and paper notebooks could be used for long time, our products life span is meant to be for one school year.
Design of S.O.S Notebooks will be changed after every school year, to give the notebook a fresh and new look. Similar change will take place in advertisement section, to provide students with most interesting and relevant information possible.
Differences in products compared to those of our competitors
We are not aware of any existing products similar to ours in the Danish market, but in most of the cases, well-designed notebooks could be a great competitor for our business. In addition Tablets, laptops and smartphones also provide students with services and applications, which they can use to improve their grades and knowledge. Below we will describe the main differences between our product and competitors.
- Formulas and rules inside the notebook
Compering with regular paper notebooks, our product will consist in addition basic formulas and rules of different subject thought in high-schools, approved and controlled by specialists, teachers and professionals of the study field.
- Advertisements
Besides formulas and rules, our product will provide a platform for companies and organisations, where they can approach and advertise their products/lines/services to students. Advertisements will be a source of revenue for our business and this will bring us to the next point of differences comparing to our competitors.
- Price
S.O.S. Notebooks will be free of charge for students, available at schools, public libraries and web stores.

- Games
In between advertisements it is possible to find different kind of intellectual games, that students can challenge themselves with. We have planned at least three types of intellectual games:
· Sudoku
· Crosswords
· Points drawing for children
These games will offer students a chance to stay on advertisement page for longer time, making them notice more of them.
- „Studying offline“
As everything is going online, our product will stay offline! Paper notebooks are commonly used in schools and that tradition will not die out at least in the next 5-10 years. Writing your study materials on paper will activate your right side of the brain and it is easier for students to remember the materials. In addition all of the information will be gathered in one place.
Calculation of product
Calculation of product is an important part of a business plan. After calculations we will know price of one notebook. In addition later on we can calculate the profit from one notebook etc. Calculations do not include any fixed costs - rent salaries etc. Even though transportation is variable cost, we did not include it, because we considered that its cost will not influence the product price itself.

Costumer segment
Costumer segmentation helps our company plan focus on the different types of potential customers. Our target segment can be divided in 3 bigger groups by age groups, subjects and partners. Below you can also read about the difference in our costumers segment in one and three years.
Our customers in 1 year:
Age groups (classes):
- 1-3 class
- 4-9 class
- 10-12 class
Subjects:
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Danish
- German
- English
- Literature
- Biology
- History
- Geography
Partners:
- Companies
- Student organisations
- Tourism offices
- Marketing companies
- Transportation companies
- Suppliers
- Musicon
Our customers in 3 years:
Our costumer segment in age’s group and subjects has not changed in 3 years, in case of major changes in Denmark’s educational system and we will target the same segments.
One of our priorities is keeping existing partners and developing new business contacts with other companies for better supplier and transportation prices, give chance more relevant organisations and companies to reach students and provide them with effective platform for reaching their target segment.
Name(s) of supplier(s)
Alliexpress.com
Distribution of the product:
We will provide transportation of the products to following location where S.O.S. Notebooks will be available free of charge for students:
· Schools
· Public libraries
· Web stores.

Financial forecast
Financial forecast is an estimate of future financial outcomes for a company. Below we will describe our companies financial forecast for three and year four:
European Economic Forecast Winter 2014|
Forecasts for Denmark|2012|2013|2014|2015|
GDP growth (%)|-0,4|0,3|1,7|1,8|
Inflation (%)|2,4|0,5|1,5|1,7|
Unemployment (%)|7,5|7,0|6,9|6,7|
Public budget balance (% of GDP)|-3,8|-0,3|-1,3|-2,7|
Gross public debt (% of GDP)|45,4|42,4|41,6|43,1|
Current-account balance (% of GDP)|6,0|7,0|6,8|6,6| http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/eu/forecasts/2014_winter_forecast_en.htm Financial forecast for year three and year four
- Year 3
Financial forecast is in our favour for year three. As the economic situation is getting better after 2008 economic crisis, people have more free money to spend. GDP growth has increased since 2012 and if it continues the same trend, by year 2017 it should be approximately 4.3 %. Unemployment has decreased over the years and stabilized, assuming that it will stay on the same level, we can forecast more cash-flow in the private sector.
2017 our business wishes to produce already 500 000 notebooks for students. Business operations will be different by that moment and companies’ revenues will grow dramatically. In addition, several costs will raise (transportation of goods, meeting with potential partners) will raise, because we will be providing notebooks in different cities and locations all over Denmark.
- Year 4
Economy of Denmark will start slowing down and stabilizing by year 2018, when it is expected to meet the same economic situation, as before the last crises in 2008. Circulation of money will benefit private sector, as well our business and partners.

2018 Will be an important year for our business. As we set high goals, we want to produce 700 000 notebooks. It would be 35 times more than in the first year! As we produce more notebooks, costs will raise. We estimate our monthly costs to be around 100 000 DKK, as we pay salaries and employ more workers.
Other business goals
- Well managed and organized company
- Effective working and management style
- Earn profit
- Improve educational level in Denmark
- Free notebooks in every library all over the country
Market
In this part, we will introduce the main groups which we will focus on when selling and creating our notebooks. Our target group is divided into three segments: two of them are focusing on our customers and the third one on our investors, who will place their advertisements into the notebooks. It is a really difficult and complex task to be successful in reaching all of the groups, but this is the only way to make our brand functional.
Typical customer
Man/woman: both
Age: 6-19 years old
Education: currently a high school/primary school student
Occupation: student
Lifestyle: generally teenagers, going to school every weekday

Our first and most important target segment is trying to reach high school and primary school students.
Among students, we are planning to focus specifically on age groups, because our main point is to provide formulas in the notebooks that can be different between the classes.
So our segmentation will be the following:
- 1-3 classes
- 4-9 classes
- 10-12 classes
We will also focus on specific subjects, for example; mathematics, geography, history, biology, chemistry and so on.
Beside the students we have another target segment that is one of the core points in our business.
These are the companies that are investing into our plan and we advertise them in return for their money.

Competitors:
We did not know about any existing products like ours in the market, but general notebooks especially with a good design could mean threat for us. Gadgets, like tablets and laptops could mean serious competition to our business, but we believe that students still use the ordinary notebooks during lessons, and according to our countries’ rules using laptops at the high school is forbidden.
Opportunities:
We would like to focus only on the Danish market, and make possible to deliver our notebooks in the whole country. We have some ideas about widening our target segments by reaching university student as well, but first we would like to concentrate on one group.
Management and Organization
In this part, we have tried to collect the basic information about the company’s operation. In the above written sections we have mentioned that the weakest point of our business is that we do not have the needed knowledge of laws and rules that we would need when opening a new business in the Danish market. Those parts, which are missing from this section, will be discussed later on with our accountant. Let us see what we know at the moment:
Name of Business: S.O.S Notebook
Address: 4000, Roskilde, Maglehojen 131.
Phone number: 91267497
E-mail: sosnotebook@gmail.com
Owners: Ott Rabi, Cosmina-Ema Otoman, Borbala Berkes, Dávid Böröczky
Bank: Nordea Bank account
Price policy: We are handing out the Notebooks for free and most of the income is coming from the businesses who place their advertisement into them.
We are trying to arrange the prices of the advertisements according to their size and on which page they are placed in the notebook.
Method of payment: We will collect our money via online transactions.
Staff Policy: Since we are a very fresh and young company, we would like to reflect it throughout our appearance and behaviour towards our customers. That is why we wear casual clothes during our work and try to build friendly partnerships with our investors.
Daily accounting: Excel
Payroll: Since it is about the salaries of employees, we are not focusing on this part because in the first year (according to a Danish rule) we won’t pay salaries to our employees.
Ordering goods: We will order our semi-manufactured notebooks from Aliexpress.com, and that is the only thing we need to order from somewhere.
Sales and marketing plan
We are not aware of any existing products similar to ours in the current Danish market, but in a lot of the cases, well-designed notebooks could be a great competitor for our business. In addition Tablets, laptops and smartphones also provide students with services and applications, which they can use to improve their grades and knowledge. As we know which costumers to target, it is much easier for us to choose the right marketing and sales processes. This plan will easily help our sales and marketing efforts and work.
Possible sales and marketing activities for our start-up
- Direct mail
Contacting and finding partners will be one of the main activities at the office, to keep our business going. Our team needs to find reliable partners to co-operate through e-mails to ensure the success of the company.
- Internet
Internet will be one of the most important marketing tools to find key partners, publish our company and provide relevant information to companies who might be interested in co-operating with us. Well designed and functional webpage will help us to gain the trust of others and to make our brand visible.

- Customer visit
Visiting partners face to face will give us a chance to convince and make reliable agreements with our partners. In addition visiting distribution locations will ensure effective and successful collaboration between us.
- Telemarketing
Telemarketing will not be a part of our marketing plan in the early stage of our business. It might be a future possibility to look more into, for making our brand and products more visible.
- Advertising
Advertising will be a combination of all marketing steps.
- Presentation material
We will give presentations including hand-out or workshop materials. It will benefit us with taking the time to prepare and print those materials properly. Our presentation material will take the form of a packet of printed out slides, or it might include worksheets, posters, or other matter. The printed part is what our customers will see, take home and hopefully remember so we will make sure that we get them looking as good as possible.
- Other types of advertising · Print advertising: it would be magazines, newsletters, flyers, direct mail, or anything else that would be considered a portable printed medium, and then it comes under the banner of print advertising. · Out-of-home advertising: creative medium, especially when creative teams are working together to create traffic stopping advertising that plays well with the surrounding environment. This might include: graffiti, street advertising. · Social Media: More than any other industry, people are using social networks for sharing their experiences with the others. They are checking-in, sharing pictures and offering reviews. All these can be concluded as spreading the information.

Public relations (PR) in connection with the opening:
We decided to take it to the next level and made an example of “The story” to the journalist:

Budgets
Our budget is created to know how much we need to sell in order to cover our costs. It also allows us to make future plans create more ideas how to manage the company. Our idea is to create a low-cost start-up and operating budget to have the best chances for succeeding. Below you can read our start-up budget for creating and starting operating the company and operating budget that will show the expected income and costs of the business after start-up
Start-up budget
Our start-up budget will show how much money our business needs to start operating in the current market. Below you find a list of some of the expenses usually associated with starting up a business.

Operating budget
The operating budget shows the expected income and costs of the business after start-up. The budget will reflect our business operations.

Due to the reason, that notebooks will be produced once a school-year, it is hard to integrate income to the operating budget. Never the less, below you can read our estimated income in the first year.

Finance
Our financial plan will show the expected funds needed for start operating the company and the expected form of funding. To show our dedication and believe of success in this business, we will not pay salaries or take out any money from the company during the first year. Everything will be reinvested to the business.
Funds needed:
Start-up budget: 73 000 DKK
Operating budget: 14 900 DKK
Total: 87 900 DKK
Financing expected to be arranged in the form of:
Owners – 37 900 DKK
Partners – 40 000 DKK
Crowd funding – 10 000 DKK
Total funding: 87 900 DKK

Appendix