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SoapBox Business Plan

Amy Dusek, Benjamin Hoffmann, Christi Heredia Gonzalez, Dan Ellison, Maria Simmons and

Ruth Harris

Department of Business, Pierce College

MNGT 282: Principles of Marketing

Dr. Paul L. Gerhardt

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Executive Summary

SoapBox is a personal hygiene subscription business that values sustainability and

transparency. Our mission is to provide the best range of personal hygiene products while also

aligning with the values of environmentally conscious consumers. Our mission is to set an

example in the industry by establishing a new benchmark for ethical, transparent, and sustainable

practices. At SoapBox transparency and sustainability forms the core of our brand. All products

are created with transparency in mind; this includes our labeling, ingredient sourcing, and

manufacturing process. We are also dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint by using eco-

friendly packaging wherever possible. We also actively encourage all of our customers to recycle

and upcycle our packaging to reduce waste.

Our target market will be mainly environmentally conscious consumers. SoapBox will

stand out in the personal hygiene industry because of our dedication to transparency and

sustainability. We invite everyone to join SoapBox in creating a more sustainable future, to

experience our products, and to let them speak for themselves.

Situation Analysis

Market Needs

Every time you shop no matter where you go or what you’re shopping for you will

inevitably see brands claiming to be free of harmful ingredients, clean, sustainable, and or eco-

friendly. But what does it mean to be sustainable? What does it mean for a product to be all-

natural? Currently, there are so few regulations to the words being thrown out in the sustainable

market that it becomes easy for companies to be guilty of greenwashing (Lindwall, 2023). To

avoid misleading customers the market needs transparency, both in the ingredients being used

and what exactly makes their products sustainable. This needs to be backed up with verifiable
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evidence, not feel-good statements designed only to get sales. SoapBox is committed to

ingredient transparency in all of its products, transparency in the materials we use in packaging

and with the impact our products have on the environment.

The interest in sustainable products has slowly grown over the past few decades as

customers increasingly search for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. This creates a demand

for sustainable products and companies that prioritize reducing waste and avoiding landfills

(Martins, 2023). However, the gap that needs to be filled in this market is to turn intention into

action, while the majority of consumers want to purchase sustainable products, many never do.

The main issue that prevents them from doing so is price (Case, 2023).

Many consumers believe that sustainable products are overpriced for their delivered

value. In order to change that narrative, the product’s price has to be affordable for the average

consumer. SoapBox is committed to providing the best quality products at the most affordable

price possible. Furthermore, by offering different choices regarding subscriptions, single-time

purchases, and member discounts we can offer our loyal customers additional perks without

forcing single-time buyers to sign up for superfluous subscriptions.

Market Demographics

While many consumers have expressed an interest in sustainability, the customers who

have shown the most interest have been the younger generations, primarily Generation Z and

millennials (Martins, 2023). The middle class is also more likely to prioritize purchasing

sustainable products than the lower-income classes or the wealthy (Hicks-Webster, 2023).

Taking that into consideration marketing efforts should take place in neighborhoods where

income is in the middle class range as well as marketing methods that are more likely to reach

Millenials.
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Market Trends and Growth

The interest in sustainable products is something that is increasing every year. The

biggest market growth has been seen in food & beverages, personal care, and healthcare. The

United States is a major player in the sustainable market, its neighbors do not trail behind

Canada and Mexico are also leaders in the sustainable product market which is why SoapBox is

open to expanding beyond US borders to our nearest neighbors (Kingpin Market Research,

2023).

The Company

Business Description

SoapBox is a personal hygiene brand with a focus on sustainability and transparency.

SoapBox offers a diverse range of personal hygiene products including soaps, shampoos,

conditioners, body washes, and body scrubs. Our products are formulated to meet hygiene needs

at a reasonable price for our consumers. Furthermore, SoapBox will offer various purchase

options for our consumers including one-time purchases or easy-to-cancel subscriptions. Those

who sign up for our subscriptions will also enjoy additional discounts and perks.

Mission

The beauty industry, and by extension the personal hygiene business is responsible for

many adverse environmental effects. Excessive packaging is at the forefront of environmental

challenges today, as well as over-harvesting for essential oils (Gutierrez, 2023). SoapBox’s

mission is to reduce its environmental impact and nurture trust with its consumers through

transparency.

Core Values
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SoapBoax operates within 5 core values, honesty, environmental stewardship, community

engagement, innovation, and social responsibility. These 5 values are at the helm of everything

we do and are ingrained in all our employees.

Honesty is at the core of our business, a business where sustainability and transparency

are our two slogans. SoapBox believes in honesty between ourselves and our consumers. We will

always be honest as to what is in our products and inform our consumers how and where those

ingredients were cultivated.

Environmental stewardship is necessary for a brand that will be using natural ingredients.

We are committed to minimizing our impact on the environment, this includes but is not limited

to reducing waste, harvesting ethically, and being proactive in finding eco-friendly alternatives.

Community engagement, we believe in giving back to the communities we take from. As

a company with many essential oils in our ingredients we promise to never take more than 10%

of wild crop during any given season (Yeager, 2017). We also commit to paying fair wages to

any local farmers we buy from.

Innovation is at the helm of any successful business, which is why SoapBox values it.

Innovation is needed not only in the production of our products but also in remaining sustainable.

Finding new ways to reduce waste is important to our business while also providing customers

with the best quality products we can.

Social responsibility is something we are committed to both inside our business and

outside of it. For SoapBox this means promoting diversity, using ethical labor practices and

supporting initiatives that advance environmental justice.

Services
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As a product-based company, SoapBox does not offer many services but one service we

do offer our consumers is the ability to sign up for a subscription service. Customers can choose

how frequently they would like to receive products from us and the ability to specify which

products they want. Our subscription service is also easy to cancel, we understand it can feel

awkward to cancel subscriptions over the phone so we make it just as easy to cancel as to sign

up, customers can do it all online! We will also have a dedicated customer service team who can

be reached via chat on our website, by email, or by phone. They will be more than happy to

assist with things such as returns, product information, and subscription questions.

Products

● SoapBox will be offering the following full-time products at launch:

○ Soap bars: Our flagship line of bar soaps will include bars for specific needs,

including moisturizing, exfoliating and for sensitive skin

○ Body washes: There will also be a line of liquid soaps for customers who have a

preference for them, the exact offerings mirroring our bar soap line

○ Shampoo and conditioner: We offer various shampoo and conditioner sets for hair

types, curly hair, color-treated hair, and volume concerns. While they come in sets

our customers can mix and match the conditioner and shampoo they want for a

customized experience

○ Body scrubs: For those who want products with extra exfoliation, we will also

offer sugar-based body scrubs in a variety of different scents

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

Fierce competition is a huge threat to any new company. Entering such markets is a risk

to entrepreneurs because establishing a sustainable competitive advantage is more difficult. An

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opportunity to build an advantage is utilizing subscription management. The introduction of

subscription management software has aided companies in personalizing customers' experience

with ease. The idea of managing a subscription differs from the simple recurring billing process.

These systems take information from the customer and use it to customize their experience

(Subscription management defined, 2023). Subscription services are great because customers

don't have to take a lot of action. Subscriptions also run the risk of becoming predictable, even

boring. Subscription management curates new options for customers and creates personalized

offers like coupons. Software relieves employees of tedious work and maximizes efficiency.

Customers see accurate results quickly. AI is an opportunity for SoapBox to enhance efficiency

and customer experience, thus setting us apart from other brands (Palumbo & Edelman, 2023).

Maintaining relevance is vital for subscription services because they are a recurring

service. Some ways to combat monotony are offering rewards, adding value with add-ons,

transparent flexible pricing and cross-selling. More than 75% of consumers prefer businesses

offering rewards (Propello Cloud, 2023). Renewal incentives like discounts are effective tools to

build customer loyalty. We can retain the curiosity of our customers by offering customized

samples, coupons, and freebies in their orders. Complimentary items like scrubbers, essential

oils, or even lotions can be tailored to each customer based on their regular purchases.

Subscription-based companies are continuing to rise in popularity as more people focus

on wellness and convenience. Using a system of recurring payments through a subscription

service can provide businesses with a more stable source of income (Billsby, 2023). However,

finding a niche for SoapBox may be challenging in an already diverse market. Package Free is

one of the direct competitors of SoapBox. Launched in 2017, Package Free has cultivated a

reputation for environmentally sound practices. This company uses zero plastics, not even
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biodegradable alternatives. Their website has multiple pages of informational material on how

they reduce their impact. They give readers a list of ways they too can reduce their

environmental impact, and start living sustainably (Start living more sustainably, 2023).

SoapBox can stand out from competitors by keeping prices as low as possible.

Consumers worldwide are learning ways to care for themselves and the environment affordably.

Our products are priced for accessibility and we offer add-ons for those who want to spend more.

By giving customers customizing options they feel good about the money they spend. SoapBox

also seeks to educate consumers on how to “live green.”

To that end, our website will have resources for customers including recycling tips,

ingredients to avoid, and even simple natural cleaning information. As a subscription service, we

can also send eco-friendly tips in our order boxes. It will be beneficial to stay current in our

research since so many eco-friendly innovations are happening. Monthly changes to our

education material keep consumers’ interest and help them achieve their environmental and

health goals. Some articles or resources would be permanently featured, but undergo updates

when necessary.

One weakness our brand has, especially in the beginning, is that our eco-friendly

ingredients and materials are more expensive. Our budget must reflect higher costs to supply the

raw materials to work with. Dove, a huge producer of soaps and skin care products produces one

bar of soap for less than $1.00 (Unilever, 2010). We have calculated the average production price

per bar of our soap will be $3.29. The raw materials we use are sourced sustainably and offer a

variety of recipe combinations. To combat higher costs we operate at a lower profit margin to

keep our products accessible to most consumers. Since most of the materials we use have

relatively short shelf lives we will use a “just in time” inventory control system. This method
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will keep our costs down, encourage efficiency, and ensure all our products are fresh and will

hold their quality while customers use them.

Overall Objectives and Goals

As a company, we are looking to gain a respectable and sustainable competitive market

share between 10-20% with time in the launch of our “Soap Box'' products. There are three

overall objectives we have created as a company for us to attain our desired market share. We

also have listed the potential issues we could face in the prevention of attaining our desired

market share and what we can do as a company to help combat, prevent, and or stop these issues

from slowing down our goals from being acheived.

Promoting Sustainability

For our company to promote sustainability the first thing we are focusing on is promoting

our efforts in using renewable ingredients for the creation of our products. Sourcing our

ingredients in a way that doesn’t have a negative impact on the environment is something we

take pride in, as we plan to have a very limited carbon footprint in making our soap. There are

ways our company can use marketing fundamentals to shape typical consumers into wanting to

be sustainable consumers. According to HBR, there are studies we can examine in our external

environment on how eco green companies like ourselves can align our consumers behavior with

our stated preferences. These authors have considered five techniques to incorporate overtime

which will be implemented by us to help consumers want to be a sustainable buyer through

using: social influence, how they can be shaping good habits, how we can leverage the domino

effect, whether to talk to the heart or the brain in our marketing efforts, and how one can favor

experiences over ownership (White et al., 2023).

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Another way we can promote sustainability is by minimizing packaging waste. Through

our use of biodegradable packaging in our soap manufacturing practices we are able to positively

influence our stance sustainability because we are making it a point to reduce our environmental

impact as much as possible and letting the consumer know they are making a real difference by

choosing to use our soap. A third way our company can promote sustainability is by

implementing eco-friendly manufacturing practices. Through our website we will have pictures

and videos posted discussing how we are implementing the use of renewable energy sources in

our soap production and how we are reducing waste in real-time.

Reducing Environmental Impact

As an eco-friendly natural soap brand, we are reducing our environmental impact by

implementing the practices of using different biodegradable packaging like compostable paper

wrappers, cardboard boxes, and plant-based bioplastics. A second way that we are reducing our

impact on the environment is by minimizing water usage during our soap production. Ways in

which we are doing so is by implementing water saving technologies and processes that help us

not to use excess water, and to be able to recycle and reuse water in efficient ways.

Another way we are reducing our impact on the environment as a company is through sourcing

sustainable ingredients for the different scents and types of soap we produce.

Ways in which we are doing so is by producing our soap by using natural & essential oils which

are derived from plants, and herbs and botanicals that are also plant-based which provide

soothing and healing properties for the skin (The Good Boutique, 2023). We know that natural

ingredients aren’t just good for our skin but it is also good for the environment in return.

Educating Customers
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The first way we can successfully educate our customers of the benefits of using our

natural soap products is through promoting the visitation of our website that will have eye-

catching descriptions into the lifestyle benefits our soap offers to potential consumers. By also

making sure to insert and highlight the intangible benefits our soap brings while marketing our

product will be a game changer for us to help the consumer understand each and every benefit

that our product provides for them, because helping consumers realize and understand the

intangible benefits is vital to influencing someone to want to buy our soap and keep continuing

to order it through our subscription service and use it regularly. Through our website we can

strategically input symbols and images to promote our convenient subscription service that

shows our “Soap Box” and the visual value it brings in a convenient and easy-going and stress

free fashion of customers with videos and description of customers testimonies to post up

(Grewal & Levy, 2022).

Image Management

Our company is aware and informed of what the effects can be for associating with the

wrong influencers which creates a bad effect on our company's publicity. The ways in which we

will ensure that we maintain a good public image is through the use of specific strategies to

create, boost, and maintain that public image. To adequately manage our public image we are

implementing four steps as a company. These include having a good business plan and sales

strategy, the creation of an intuitive and accessible website, the implementation of a public

relations team, and establishing and maintaining a social media presence (Gardner 2023).

Through these planned and detailed efforts we are choosing to take on, our organization can

maintain a friendly, positive, and professional image so that customers feel that they can trust us

and can talk positively of our company.

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Supply Disruption Mitigation

This issue relates to our organization not being able to receive our raw ingredients needed

either locally and or through shipments within a timely manner. This is a possible internal issue

that could occur like a natural disaster stopping our shipment we plan on receiving at the time we

need it to arrive. If this happens it could prevent us from being able to produce our products that

are being requested by customers and need to be delivered. In order to take action when a

disruption like this occurs, we have established some steps in place on how to inform, prevent,

and make things right for our current and future customers in the event we are short on products

or they become unavailable for the time being due to unfortunate circumstances occurring

internally. To prevent a scenario like this from happening we are adopting five key logistical

actions (Accenture, 2023).

Key Logistical Actions

● Putting the people first: This means as a company we need to keep our internal planning

workforce healthy and productive by learning, implementing, and supporting new ways

of working.

● Leveraging our data to improve visibility: This means as a company we need to be able to

maximize visibility into demand with supply chains, inventory, capacity, and financing

across our demographic area.

● Defining our segmentation to prioritize demand: This means as a company we need to

cautiously and carefully analyze our areas of inventory and put them into their own

micro-segments.
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● Building a sales and ops SWAT team: This means as a company we need to assemble

internal efforts into dedicated planning and teams to execute and orchestrate responses

effectively when the time calls for it.

● Evaluating our supply chain scenarios: This last action is in place for our company to run

simulations to make a prediction for when there may be shortages and excesses, and what

periods of time they may likely to occur at. It is suggested that we run scenarios to

identify our optimal operational metrics to improve the flow of business as much as

possible (Accenture, 2023).

By incorporating these very helpful action moves into our marketing plan we can combat

and do the best job we possibly can at preventing issues relating to the disruption of our supply

chain from ever happening and becoming a major problem for us.

Supply Chain Management

Our company has a plan to be successful in our continuing efforts to source sustainable

ingredients in an ethical manner. In our distribution operations we are choosing to use fully

digitized supply chain management technologies, tracking shipments in and out of our

warehouse in real time. This will increase the operational effectiveness of the organization and

help us to ensure we are sourcing sustainable ingredients from our suppliers. This will also serve

to improve situational awareness regarding current world circumstances and the effects that may

have on the supply of ingredients needed to produce our products (Accenture, 2023).

Ensuring Product Affordability

Inside of our organization’s SWOT analysis we were able to identify that one of our

threats to our company is consumers viewing our natural-based soap as not being sufficiently

affordable compared to our competitors. To mitigate this, we have ensured our product is as
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affordable as possible and is able to be conveniently accessed by centering our product

distribution through a fairly priced and personalized subscription service.

Competition With Established Brands

For our company to successfully compete with established brands, we will emphasis

three points. The first point of emphasis to highlight the unique qualities of our sustainably made

hygiene products, such as our sustainable practices in the process of the creation of our products

and our biodegradable packaging. Second, we will also create detailed highlights and

descriptions of the health benefits of using our naturally made hygiene products for marketing

materials.

Finally, we will actively engage with current and future potential customers through

social media in order will help our company grow bigger over time by establish and maintaining

a loyal customer base. This serves the purpose of not only marketing our products, but also

encourages customers to advertise on our behalf by talking about our products on their own.

Engagement with our consumers is the key to marketing our products successfully, so actively

posting interesting photos and videos will be important to encourage engagement and stay

relevant (Mcdonald, 2023).

Marketing Strategy

Marketing Objectives

In order to build a sustainable market share, SoapBox will promote our products

primarily through a number of select marketing techniques. When implementing our overall

strategy, our focus will be on gaining new customers while maintaining positive relationships

with the current customer base. As an all-online and environmentally freindly business, SoapBox

will be focused primarily on digital advertising.

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Marketing Techniques

● Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Search engines are often the first tool used

by customers when searching for a product. This can be accomplished by

optimizing keywords in our content, preventing crawlability problems, and link

building. The end result of these efforts will be to improve our visibility on search

engine rankings. But doing so, we will increase brand awareness among potential

customers, reduce ad expenses, and improve lead generation (Flamand, 2023).

● Social Media - Social media services are an inexpensive, even free method of

promoting businesses and encouraging customer engagement. This can also

improve the chances of potential customers discovering the brand, and provide a

means to coordinate with micro-influencers. Social media is also a good location

to offer rewards for reviews and ratings.

● Seasonal Promotions - By keeping advertising and promotions fresh and with the

current season, we will ensure that our brand does not become stale. Seasonal

promotions for well-known holidays will also encourage people to act due to a

fear of missing out on favorite scents or themes.

● Word of Mouth - When clients are pleased with our products, they are more likely

to speak positively about our quality and service to their friends and associates.

By encouraging interaction through social media, we can help add weight and

reach to their opinions and reviews. Positive word of mouth is a free and effective

means to propagate knowledge about the brand.

● Rewards Programs - By rewarding loyalty and purchases with free items such as

stickers, reward points, and additional products, we will encourage ongoing brand
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loyalty. Rewards such as apparel and stickers will also act as an additional

element of free advertising, while also encouraging customers to take our brand as

part of their personal expression of their identity.

● Marketing Mail List - customers who have placed orders will have the ability to

opt-in for targeted advertising newsletters. This will provide the opportunity to

directly market special offers to customers with an established interest.

Target Market Strategy

Our primary target demographics are going to be both men and women with disposable

income. They will mainly fall between the ages of 18-40, with a general focus on millennials and

Generation Z customers. Their motivation for purchase will involve high quality for reasonable

cost, convenience, concerns for personal health and a desire for eco-friendly products with

minimal waste. Facebook is a major priority with a current user count of approximately 3 billion

accounts (MixBloom, 2023). Instagram is another priority, as it has become the platform of

choice for younger users, with approximately 1.17 billion users under the age of 35 (MixBloom,

2023).

Marketing Mix

SoapBox will utilize a marketing mix made up of the following approaches to elements

of pricing, distribution, advertising and promotion, and customer service. Note that use of online

marketplaces such as Amazon may require changes to these elements to maintain compliance.

Pricing

Our pricing model will be first based on establishing a base competitive rate similar to

other hygiene subscription services. Flexibility will be added through a customizable package

model, allowing customers to add various optional products for an additional cost if they desire.
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Costs for shipping will be clear and as flexible as is practical, with multiple options available

whenever possible. This element may be mitigated somewhat by the use of online marketplaces,

such as Amazon.

Distribution

As an all-online service, distribution will happen entirely through delivery. Packages will

be assembled at our central business location at 500 Made Up Drive, Fake City, Washington and

then delivered via contracted delivery service (UPS, FedEx, etc) or United States Postal Service.

Advertising and Promotion

The promotional campaigns will be primarily focused on three elements. Social media

campaigns, micro-influencers or bloggers, and referral rewards.

● Social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube will be used to

increase awareness and convey our desired message. These will be primarily

focused on funneling new customers to the website or social media pages where

they can be engaged with. Sponsoring YouTubers focusing on various

entertainment subjects will also be a way of breaking out into a wider audience by

getting them to advertise on our behalf. It is important that over three-quarters of

YouTube users are within our target demographic (MixBloom, 2023).

● Micro-influencers or bloggers will be able to be linked into social media

campaigns, allowing for more in-depth promotion of SoapBox products. These

could be done through merchandising, reviews and interviews. Successful

influencers could be brought on as partners, given more influence and greater

visibility to benefit both parties.

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● Referral rewards will be aimed at returning customers, encouraging them to get

friends or family to try our service in exchange for benefits. This encourages

loyalty and for customers to express their positive opinions about the brand to

others. By having a reputation as generous to loyal customers and encouraging

discussion, we will both gain advertising and increased loyalty.

Seasonal and holiday promotions will be offered on a rotating basis. They will be

accompanied by appropriately themed products in customer packages, and the opportunity for

limited-time or discounted themed products. Notable holiday and seasons include

● Valentine’s Day

● Easter Special

● Mother’s Day

● Father’s Day

● Summer Vacation Special

● Back-to-school

● Fall Special (popular scents such as pumpkin spice)

● Halloween

● Christmas

Free trials will be offered for new customers, offsetting financial risk and encouraging

customers to sign up for their first subscription. A similar program will be rolled out for

customers who have had their subscriptions lapse for more than six months, encouraging them to

return. This latter element would be best distributed through mailing lists or advertised through

influencers.
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More traditional advertisements will be put into place on various relevant websites. These

will be rotated to adapt to promotions and seasons as they become relevant. The company will be

active in looking for advertising partners that will serve to amplify our message. If necessary we

will look at corporate partners that would be interesting advertising on our space in addition to

using their products as optional add-ons to customer packages.

Web Planning

A highly efficient and optimized website for both mobile and desktop devices is a central

element to the success of SoapBox. The website will be professionally designed and maintained

with a high focus on customer privacy and data protection. Page layout will be designed to be

easy to navigate and clean, with a focus on the eco-friendly and health-related benefits of our

service. All aspects of web design will be tied into our SEO planning in order to maximize the

effectiveness of the website as a tool (Flamand, 2023).

Website Marketing

Links will be provided to and from social media services, with videos from related

influencers placed prominently. Promotions and seasonal themes will be placed in rotations on

the front page, allowing newly arrived guests to immediately see the specials on offer. Since our

audience is heavily invested in social media and the internet, social media branding should be a

priority. Advertising space for our corporate partners should be considered as well.

Action Programs

When deciding how to execute our strategies, we start with considering how our products

will be manufactured and what standards we will maintain. We can then turn those standards and

processes into advertising points towards our target audience. Then, that information can be

disseminated through advertising via the previously referenced means. You will take to branding
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and packaging your product. Must keep in mind that the packaging can also be your brand itself.

Branding is the process of how our business establishes their identity, with all the potential

buyers. Having strong buyers who want great products at an affordable price, quality, and good

service.

Even with all the careful research, planning, packaging, advertising, and branding, many

businesses do not last. According to research, approximately 70% to 80% of businesses will

ultimately fail (Nobel, 2011). If the products do not appeal to the ordinary consumer because

they are plain or boring, they are less likely to purchase them. So, our packaging is designed with

an eye towards bright, distinctive colors and patterns, so as to be aesthetically pleasing when first

opened. This will also make our brand more memorable when seen in advertisements or

sponsored videos.

It is important for SoapBox to look at the bigger picture as well. Branding is not just

getting our target market to choose us over the competitors, it is also getting prospective

customers see that we provide the solution to their needs. At SoapBox we listen to what the

customer wants and needs and provide the products that will meet those needs. It is important to

deliver great customer service, quality products and develop positive customer relationships. Our

focus is to keep the customers we have from leaving, this is why having affordable prices, a

variety of products and loyalty programs are important. Usually this is done by the marketing

team. They will take care of what needs to be done in detail. With market research and the

appropriate budget, that will be able to tune our marketing strategies to our customers.

The corporate values should be kept in mind when executing any action plan, and actions

kept consistent within those values. Customers will always want to know what the company

values are when it comes to the products being sold in order to understand who and what it is
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they are supporting with their purchase. It is important to those individuals to know what

resources have been used and if they are all natural products from local areas or imported

(Ellering, 2022).

A primary element of our action plan is to encourage word of mouth advertisement

between customers. Happy customers will always talk about your business if they like the

product and have a good experience with customer service. We will be focusing heavily on those

elements throughout the plan in order to establish and maintain that positive relationship.

Because there are so many products that are similar, we must make our product stand out. By

making our company and the experience with it exceptional, our products will be seen in the

same light.

Controls

Competitive Edge

Due to the company's excellent distribution, first-mover advantage, distinctive

positioning and successful branding, Soapbox will outperform its competitors in terms of brand

recognition. Being a smaller business, we understand the disadvantage we will face in court if we

have to take on more formidable, larger rivals (Hill, 2021). However, by erecting an additional

barrier to entry, a patent for our special product will give us security above and beyond a first-

mover advantage.

Management Review

The management at Soapbox regularly evaluates the organizational units' quality, and

safety. In addition, our management evaluates implementation based on a range of criteria, such

as audits, assessments, benchmarks, key metrics, on-site inspections, self-assessments, and

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reviews. The results are then used to develop any necessary improvement measures, which are

then put into practice and their effectiveness evaluated.

Evaluation is a crucial component of marketing because it allows our business to cut out

inefficient tactics and create a comprehensive plan that boosts SoapBox sales. We can save

money by arranging for routine reviews of our marketing strategy. Squandered money by

changing or removing advertisements that don't connect with our target audience or get the

necessary response. As part of our plan, include tools to track each marketing campaign's

effectiveness, making evaluation simpler and less expensive.

Customer Satisfaction

Our primary objective revolves around captivating individuals to explore our website,

make purchases of our product, and endorse our brand. To accomplish this goal effectively, we

intend to employ surveys and polls not only on our website but also across various social media

platforms. This approach will enable us to gather valuable feedback from customers regarding

their experiences and perceptions. Given the strong bond between SoapBox and its clientele, it

would be advantageous for us to gain deeper insights into customer satisfaction levels following

subscription sign-ups and initial encounters with products and subscription opportunities.

Specialization

Each employee will have one or more tasks for which they have received training. It is

important to achieve some extra training in order to control employee turnover and workflow.

However, giving employees ownership over certain tasks is generally a good idea. As an

example, some employees will grow plants that are used as materials, while others press or distill

the oils, and others learn how to make soap to a high level. Other unique tasks include handling
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promotion and paperwork, selling at markets, and packaging finished goods. It's critical to match

each employee's skills and interests to the position.

Contingency Planning

One part of the sales planning process that actually complements strategic and financial

planning is contingency planning (Leonard, 2023). All the effort put into future plans can fail if

there is no backup plan in place (Contingency planning, n.d.). The following steps will be

incorporated into our contingency planning procedure in order to accomplish this effectively.

● Helps us accurately plan purchases.

● Provides a competitive advantage for the business.

● Increase our market segment.

● Strengthens company culture.

● Enhances long-term business insights.

Financials

With a solid execution of our business plan, we expect to begin making a profit over our

initial costs within the first three months. As many SoapBox products have short shelf lives, as

previously mentioned, many supplies will be ordered as needed. Due to the nature of

subscriptions, we will be able to plan ahead for our ordering needs and overhead costs will be

kept low. Individual box profit will not be high initially, but given an appropriate business loan,

SoapBox can sustain operations for up to six months without significant profit. Given time to

establish itself, SoapBox will be able to make a sustainable return on investment.

As the end of that sixth month period approaches, the management team will need to

reevaluate spending, costs and the effect that has on pricing and promotions. If possible, the

company will prioritize higher advertisement spending and a broadening of optional products,
 24

especially as the holidays approach. The budget will then need to be reviewed on a quarterly

basis to keep up-to-date on the company’s situation until such time as SoapBox is firmly

established with a sustainable cashflow.

Item Cost per lb Cost per bar Projected Numbers

Hemp Base 7 1.6 3116.14 /3 batches
Shea Butter Base 6 1 ~3 bars /box
Goat Milk Base 3 0.5 32 boxes @ 25/per box
Honey 1 lb = 1400
bars 6 0.06 $10 - avg cost to transport
Cocoa Butter 8 0.08 $5.12 /box profit
Aloe Vera 1 lb =
480 Bars 2 0.06
Activated Charcoal 24 0.75
Oatmeal 1 0.03
Ground Coffee 7 0.22
Sugar 3 0.09 Additives Cost per Cost Per Batch
Oils (assorted) 5 0.16 Full dress 3.39 /bar 108.50 /32 bars
Base /
hard
additive 3.17 /bar 101.40 /32 bars
Base
liquid
Average plain bar 3.1 additive 3.32 /bar 106.24 /32 bars
Average hard 316.14 total 96
additive 0.07 bars
Average liquid
additive 0.22 3 Batches

1lb 6 pars ~3 oz
bar
1sp /lb of base (96
lb) of soap
 25

1 t /lb of base
(32lb) of soap

~4 hrs per tray

prep, pour, set
32 bars per batch,
5lb mold
 26

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