Golfing Gopher Executive Summary
Description of Golfing Gopher Concept
Golf Gopher is a vertical, web-based infomediary leveraging the power of information technology to link buyers and sellers of golf products and services and to facilitate sales. The business opportunity is possible because of the remarkable popularity and growth of the Internet and World Wide Web. Golfing Gopher will create a dramatic shareholder return on investment by becoming a leading online destination for golfers.
As the number of sellers in the e-marketplace increases, the more difficult is is for consumers to find the best product for their needs at the best price. Golfing Gopher takes the time-consuming task out of digging through the Web for the best deals on golf products and services.
Men and women worldwide spend approximately $30 billion annually on golf-related services and merchandise. The popularity of the Internet and the World Wide Web (“The Web”) has created new venture opportunities by pushing much of this revenue-generating activity into cyberspace through the creation of content-specific web sites. By locating the best price from many competitors, providing product and service reviews by industry experts, and displaying shipping costs and product availability...Golf Gopher allows consumers to make informed and intelligent purchases for all of their golfing needs. Our Web site is comparison shopping tool that helps to empower the consumer.
Kevin Jones of InteractiveWeek has coined the term ‘Butterfly’ market. A Butterfly Market consists of a large number of consumers and e-tailers (a Web-based online retailer such as Amazon.com) trying do do business with one another. Consumers are one wing and e-tailer are the other. There are many consumers trying to reach many vendors and vice-versa. This many-to-many condition makes it very difficult for buyers and sellers to find each other. Golfing Gopher intends to position itself as the ‘body’ of this butter fly to make the wins flap. The ‘body’ adds value to both wings by lowering search costs to both consumer and e-tailer and making the golf equipment market function more efficiently. Golf Consumers will reward Golfing Gopher with return visits and brand loyalty, and e-tailers will reward Golfing Gopher with finders fees, commissions on sales, advertising revenue and per-click-through payments.
Experts expected the price-comparison shopping market to explode but thus far it has not. The reason? Because brand management and marketing strategies are more important than most dot.com’s have anticipated. Golfing consumers are leaning more towards the trust, reliability and service of sites rather than on just the price alone...and this is where Golf Gopher shines. Not only do we find the lowest price, but we find the companies with the best customer satisfaction records and ratings. We tell consumers who they can trust.
Management
Michael Johnson—Founder
Michael brings ten years of experience in creative design and marketing and publications. Prior to founding GolfingGopher.com, he was an Art Director for an award-winning weekly newspaper, a Creative Artist and Interactive Media Designer for the Gannett Corporation, and the Assistant Director of Public Affairs/Designer for the Simon Graduate School of Business. He holds an A.A.S. degree in Graphic Art and Advertising Technology from State University of New York, a certificate in Entrepreneurship from the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester, and a Web Site Client/Server Systems Development Certificate from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Unnamed—President and CEO
There are several possible profiles for the ideal candidate for this position. The most likely candidate will be a successful, well-connected, retired entrepreneur with an insane passion for the game of golf. In this scenario, the Angel Investor could also become the CEO and secure 51% of the company. A local club Pro would also make an ideal candidate.
Statement of Needed Financing
The market opportunity, and strategy detailed in this plan will require investment capital in the amount of $4,250,000. This amount will allow the Founder to dedicated his full resources to GolfingGopher and bring the company quickly into a dominant position in the market. This amount will fund operations and working capital for the initial startup of the company and its search for an established e-commerce Partner. It will also cover initial advertising spending.
