| Entrepreneurs often give little if any consideration | | | | of our computer customer data base which is |
| to their computer system needs in their original | | | | updated monthly by our franchisor. Each truck has |
| business plans. It is a necessity to have mention | | | | a pager for their route. This system is maintained, |
| of your computer system as bankers and/or | | | | operated and paid for by the franchisor. We will |
| investors will want to know how you will keep | | | | not have to hire secretaries to answer phones or |
| track of your future endeavor. You need to | | | | dispatchers to route trucks, no matter how many |
| carefully spell out your needs and their costs to | | | | mobile car wash trucks we have on the |
| insure you are asking for the right amount of | | | | road.Procedures:Our franchisor has built all |
| money for your new project and to insure that | | | | mistakes out of our business to insure smooth |
| you know what you need in advance. All too | | | | and efficient operations. They have provided us |
| often entrepreneurs are not completely sure of | | | | with the following manuals:· Employee |
| what is needed and then when they see what is | | | | · Marketing |
| available they want it, this adds costs. Then | | | | · Operations |
| comes the customization and feature creep as | | | | · TrainingWe intend to follow the procedures |
| high paid programmers design the modifications.A | | | | outlined in these manuals. If we have any |
| business plan needs a complete description of the | | | | questions about anything that is not in the |
| exact needs of the computer system and | | | | manuals or anything we do not 100% understand, |
| subsequent upgrades due to future expansion | | | | we will call the franchisee hotline number at Car |
| prior to launch. Of course new systems will be put | | | | Wash Guys headquarters or ask our regional |
| onto the market and these new innovative | | | | director on his weekly visits.Computer System:We |
| systems will have different costs. You may also | | | | will be using the following hardware in our |
| wish to address this fact. Investors and bankers | | | | franchise business:IBM Compatible Computer |
| need to feel confident that you understand the | | | | 233 MHZ Pentium MMX |
| true costs and associated problems with software | | | | 5 GB RAM |
| and hardware before you start. Having read | | | | 45 GB Hard Drive |
| many business plans, I have seen few, which take | | | | High Speed Internet and WiMax |
| these issues into consideration. I have seen many | | | | 12X Speed CD ROM |
| entrepreneurs fall down in these issues and it | | | | 15" SVGA Monitor |
| ends up costing them later, even sometimes | | | | HP Printer |
| causing failure of their businesses. You need to be | | | | Computer DeskWe will be borrowing the |
| thinking here.Below is a sample "computer | | | | following software and user guides from Car |
| system" section of a business plan, which clearly | | | | Wash Guys International, Inc.:· Ascend |
| defines the level of detail needed. This sample is | | | | · Microsoft Windows |
| from a simple business, we chose to use a mobile | | | | · Microsoft Office 2003This software will |
| car wash company, which is a franchise of a | | | | hold the following files and databases:FilesBid |
| larger company. The larger company dictating | | | | ProposalsFeasibility StudyFundraising Sample |
| exactly what is needed. Most entrepreneurs are | | | | Flyers, Coupons, Etc.Sales LettersThis Business |
| not so lucky in that regard and will in fact need to | | | | PlanEtc.DatabasesBusiness Listings |
| study all the possibilities before finishing their plan. | | | | DatabaseChamber Of Commerce |
| This serves as an example, as most business plan | | | | DatabaseCompetition DatabaseCustomer Data |
| books do not do justice to the importance of | | | | BaseFax List DatabaseNetwork DatabaseService |
| computer systems in their samples. Think on this.- | | | | Clubs DatabaseV.I.P. DatabaseThese files will help |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Systems, Procedures, | | | | us move quickly with marketing efforts, keep us |
| Computer, Credit Card UnitsPhone Dispatch | | | | in touch with our community and abreast of all |
| System:Every customer calling into our company | | | | competition operating within our exclusive |
| for service will call a 1-800 phone number. This | | | | territory. These databases also will help our |
| phone number will ring at the franchisor's dispatch | | | | franchisor with regional public relations and |
| service. The operator will answer, asking 'What | | | | community based marketing. By doing this, our |
| city are you in?' If the customer asks for our | | | | franchisor will help us maintain strong name |
| exclusive city we'll get the page. They will be | | | | recognition and pass on quality sales leads.We will |
| asked the following:· Phone Number | | | | be sold as part of our franchise system:· |
| · Address | | | | Scheduling Software |
| · Name | | | | · Accounting SoftwareThese programs are |
| · Services RequestedThis information is | | | | ours to keep and we may use them for personal |
| typed into a computer and paged out on an | | | | use if we wish. This way we won't mix our |
| alphanumeric pager. All information becomes part | | | | business with our personal life. |