Final Strategic Plan
Angela D. Nicol
University of Phoenix
BUS 475
Final Strategic Plan
Picture yourself relaxing in a room with aromatherapy while waiting for a spa specialist to
come into the room and be given the treatments for the day. One doesnt have to achieve
this type of pleasure by only going to a spa it can be achieved at home where the pleasure
of a spa comes alive. Scents & Things is a relation therapy store that provides the generally
public with all the necessary tools and techniques to do at home relaxation therapy. The
stores offers a wide range of products which include home salon services like cellulite,
body, an cosmetic treatments, reflexology, aromatherapy, candles and perfume blending.
All products focus on the achievement of obtaining a healthy balance of mind, body, and
spirit. This paper will define the strategic management and planning process which
includes the vision, mission, values, SWOTT analysis, Balanced Scorecard, and
communication plan for Scents & things.
Strategic management and planning
Strategic planning is vital for a company to be successful and will determine the path that
the new company will take. When a company implements a strategy they are essentially
lying down and defining the framework for all managerial decisions. The strategy will
contain vital information and reflects a companys awareness of how, when, and where it
should compete; against whom it should compete; and for what purposes it should compete
(Pearce, Robinson 2004, p4).
As the owner of a new relation therapy store (Scents & Things) the first step in designing a
strategic plan is to develop a mission statement by identifying the purpose of Scents &
Things. The mission statement of Scents & Things will represent the philosophy of the
firms strategic decision makers, implies the image the firm seeks to project, reflects the
firms self-concept, and indicates the firms principal product or service areas and the
primary customer needs the firm will attempt to satisfy (Pearce, Robinson 2004, p26). The
mission statement will need to be reviewed and changed so that it reflects the
ever-changing needs of the company and consumers that the company services.
Once the mission statement is created the next step is to define a set of goals and
objectives that will be implemented so that the company will accomplish the mission. Each
goal or objective will have to have a clearly defined approach and strategy implemented so
that the company can achieve and reach its goals or objectives. One step in the process of
implementing a strategy is to assess the internal and external factors that are present and
adjust the strategy accordingly. Once there is a strategic plan implemented the company
will have to monitor continuously and update the strategic plan as needed.
The importance of a strategic plan and the four functions of management
Sequentially for Scents & Things to be successful the company needs to have a carefully
planned out strategic plan that defines what Scents & Things is, and what the company
will potentially become in the future as the company grows. In order for the strategic plan
to be implemented properly Scents & Things needs to evaluate all areas of their strategic
management process. Strategic management involves the planning, directing, organizing,
and controlling of a companys strategy-related decisions and actions (Pearce, Robinson
2004, p3).
Planning includes setting broad, long-term goals and objectives. The long-term goals are
generally agreed upon by employees and management and are the accomplishments that
the company wishes to achieve. Objectives are detailed, short-term statements that define
how the company is going to achieve the organizational goals. One way for Scents &
things to define the companys goals and objectives is to create a vision, company values,
and a strategic plan which will explain the significance of the goals and objectives as well
importance of the companys success.
A key step in the strategic management process is to organize and allocate the companys
resources, assign tasks, and establish a list of procedures so that the company can achieve
and accomplish their goals. The best way to achieve their goals is to have a clearly defined
organizational chart that shows the lines of authority and responsibility. An organizational
chart is idyllic for allocation of the companys strategic vision and gives employees a chain
of command. Employees play a huge role in the strategic management process and the
successfulness of the company.
Leading or directing involves the process of strategically guiding and motivating
employees in a way that they work effectively in a way that the employees assist in
accomplishing the organizational goals and objectives. When employers motivate their
employees they are assisting the company in being successful by motivating employees to
work to their potential. Motivation can be achieved by having employees to participate in
different rewards and incentive programs that are based upon their job performance.
Controlling is the last step in the strategic management process and involves the company
creating performance standards that will evaluate the companys performance to determine
if the company is successful in reaching their goals and objectives. There are five steps in
the controlling process and they are establishing clear standards, monitoring and recording
the companys performance, comparing the results of the monitoring against the established
standards, record the results and make changes if necessary so that the company will
remain productive.
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Mission Statement
Scents & Things has been designed to service a very diverse clientele of customers from
different races, cultures, and ethnicities that want to achieve a common goal of relaxation.
Customers wanting to achieve this common goal of relaxation will come all social and