Final Exam

Well, I suppose taking the final exam means this class is officially over. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (Seasons Greetings)...Enjoy the break... I think we all need it :D

Thanks Dr. Gray for working with me on my marketing plan. You were a great help. See you next semester!

End of Semester 2009

It's been a good semester. Time has virtually disappeared and finals week is here.
Good Luck this week on all your exams. Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday season.
M. Lowther

Marketing Mix: PRICE

Price list items that provide for the zoological experience with the animals in the park is as listed below.
• Admission:
• Keychains/magnets:
• Pictures:
• T-shirts:
• Personal Pictures with the animals (future idea)
• Snacks (for the animals)
o chicken legs (big cats):
o crackers/cookies (primates area, etc.)
• Cabin rentals:
• Special events:
o Zoo Parties:
o On Location Parties:
o After Hours events (campouts etc)
o Other events:


What other items or ideas can you think of that would benefit safari's sanctuary that customers would be willing to purchase and what price do you think would go along with those items?

Competition: both direct and indirect

Safari's Sanctuary is not the only rescue facility or zoo attraction in this area. Here are a few of the competitors I managed to find for this report.
• G. W. Exotic Animal Park
• Oakhill Center for rare and endagered species
• Safari Joe's
• Tiger Safari
• Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum
• Oklahoma Aquarium
• Oklahoma City Zoo
• Arbuckle wilderness
• Little River Zoo

Each competitor can be found online though I only linked three. I would love to hear your opinions and suggestions on safari's and the competitors listed here.
thanks for your time and interest. See you in class!

Strengths:

The SWOT analysis covers strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are generally internal attributes, which we can address by changing our business and/or our business practices. Here are a few of the strengths I feel Safari's Sanctuary possesses.

• Love and care of the animals.
• Personal experience that is up-close and personal with the animals
• Personalized tours with guide
• Educational and learning experiences
• Oppurtunities for volunteers aand donors.
• PETA as it pertains to humane treatment of animals instead of euthanization of animals. PETA could be an ally that supports an organization that saves animals that zoos cannot.
• Mobile petting zoo
• Available land ready to develop for expansion
• Cabin for rent on site at Safari's
• Campouts and Bonfires and other night time events offered at the park
• Community involvement


I would love to hear any comments/input you have to offer on this matter.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas.

Presentations

Last week of classes is our presentation week. Good Luck everyone!

Time is UP!

Well, the paper was turned in Sunday at 11:40pm just 20 mins shy of the deadline but I made it. Now all i have to do is try and fit 44 pages of information into a five minute power point presentation. Hmm..... Yeah... can you say "condense!"

*sigh* you would think a five minute presentation would be the easiest thing in the world. It's not that it is hard to put together....it's just that 44 pages doesn't fit into five minutes. It's like trying to cram a watermelon into a vienna sausage can or a sardine can...neither would work...nor be that appealing. Time is up. Paper is in and presentation is in the works. Good Luck to ALL!


Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Well our last paper was due sunday Nov 22nd. Now we just have presentations to give and the holidays to enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Safari's Sanctuary: Mission Statement

"To educate and entertain the public regarding wildlife and pets through the care and rescue of previously unwanted exotic pets"

Skink: A large lizard with a long body, large head and small legs with delicate toes.

blue tongued skink

Skinks and Bearded Dragons are also common exotic pets according to sources visited on the internet. There are 600 to 800 species of skink. The blue tongued skink is the exotic pet sought out by would-be pet owners.

Skunks have been rescued by Safaris also but i believe that was due to loss of their former home (though I am not positive that is the reason).

LIGER

With Paper #1 submitted and returned including edits by the professor, paper two is now on the horizon. Please note: "liger" is NOT "tiger" misspelled. A Liger is a rare occurrence that DOES appear in nature though rarely. A Liger is a big cat born of TWO cat species -- a female tiger and a male lion. If the parentage were to be a female lion and a male tiger then the cub would be called a Tigon. The "mythical" creature (liger) was mentioned in Napoleon Dynamite (the movie). When this movie was released, Safair's happened to have a liger in residence named Rocky. Rocky still calls the park his home. He brought visitors to the park from all over the United States due to the mention in the movie and the movie's popularity. If you still have doubts as to what a liger is or if it is real...then read more about ligers by following the links below OR better yet, GO SEE Rocky at Safari's and see a real LIGER for yourself.

http://www.liger.org/

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/liger.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger

http://www.lairweb.org.nz/tiger/ligers.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/liger

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/l/ligers.htm

and now it is time to work on that afore mentioned paper #2....Best of wishes to all class mates doing the same!

First round Down....or is it??

Well, our first part of this plan was due and I had a few issues with the program but i like that it forms the tables for you... though sometimes i think it might have been better to just go by the guide.... then again I'm still learning so we'll see how it all turns out.
I think the whold process has been very interesting. I sure hope my subject finds it interesting at the end of the sememster when they get a finished product. They are definitely interesting themselves. I am hoping to stay involved after this project is over too.
Best wishes to my fellow classmates on your projects. See you in class!

Chosen Topic

I am very excited to announce that I have finally chosen my topic for my marketing plan. I am going to do a plan for an exotic animal rescue facility in Broken Arrow. In case any of you doesn't know what I am talking about, allow me to elaborate.
It is like a zoo except that ALL the animals are former exotic pets that previous owners found too much to handle or not what they expected or just couldn't take care of their pet. This facility is a non-profit organization who relies on a lot of voluteer's and who tries to educate the public using the animals they have rescued.

They have tigers, reptiles, skunks, ....you name it....you may find it there. :D

They are online with a website and a myspace page which given the owner's permission I will publish in a later blog.

Until next blog.... see you in class!

Marketing for the Entrepreneur

I am a student at RSU for the Fall of 2009 and a Marketing major. I am currently taking a "Marketing for the Entrepreneur" and our first assignment is to set up a blog and post. This is my first post.

The class seems really enjoyable. I am actually looking forward to the semester in this class.

Good luck to all my fellow students! See you in class.

M. Lowther