M8A1 TERM PAPERSelection of Country
After review of both countries, I have Singapore as the country that utilize as my initial expansion. The Japan education system is far more advanced than Singapore and the government has a stable foundation. The opportunities to launch Edu Tots in Singapore tremendous and can be a very profitable for business.
The country culture is very divers, but a majority of the country can be considered to have a Chinese ethnic back ground. In order to keep pace and better to support their families, most married couples work and their concept in life is more affectionate for family in Singapore. As opposed to yester year the structure of family has dramatically changed and they seek to raise their stature in the urban community. The white collar jobs far outweigh the blue collar jobs and the geographical population has changed dramatically. They are very careful when it comes to their religious practices and adhere to, but at the same time they are more forthcoming when it comes to fashion. Tourism activities have begun to play a vital role to how the people are aligned (Schiffman, and Kanuk, 1983).

Demographic Research
Most of the people in Singapore are Chinese or we can say there is an ethnic culture of Chinese people that exists in this country. Married couples who are working are more in numbers in this country as compared to other countries. People here believe in the concept of family intimacy. The age and family structure in Singapore has changed now, as the people are focusing on the high standards of urban life style. On the basis of research it can be said that the number of white collar jobs are higher than blue collar jobs in Singapore. There is a tremendous shift in its population at geographic level. Citizens here are more forward in terms of fashion and style. The people here are more conscious about their religious aspects and follow the rules and regulations of the religion with due consideration. People in this country are more oriented towards the tourism activities (Schiffman, and Kanuk, 1983).
Economic Research
On the basis of research of the economic environment, it can be said that the number of female workers and their income has increased in Singapore. Per capita income of this country has also improved during the recent years. The economic condition of the country is better and effective enough for the purpose of expansion of the business of EduTots. Number of double households is also higher as compared to other countries. The incomes of the households have also increased in Singapore as compared to the other countries (External Environment in the Asia Pacific Region, 2008).
The consumers in Singapore are more curious about spending their savings in shopping and tour related activities. The patterns of savings and expenditure are different than other countries. Households with number of three to four persons have increased from 36% to 46% in last ten years in Singapore. The country’s rate of per capita gross domestic product is highest in the world. Among the various Asian countries, Singapore is considered as the most developed nation. This is considered as the prosperous and modern country. It is the 4th densest country in the world. The economy of Singapore is recognized as a transparent and successful economy (Schiffman, and Kanuk, 1983).
Legal and Political Considerations
The legal and political system of Singapore is very efficient and considered most effective in the world for its integrity. Its legal system has received various tributes at international level. Singapore is known as a leading center of legal and political system at worldwide level. The legal system provides the right of freedom of speech and expression. It is applicable to all the communities exist in this country. The leading party in Singapore is People Actions Party (PAP) and the head of the government is the Prime Minister of the country. Since both the elements present in the legal system of Singapore i.e. democratic and authoritarian, it is known as hybrid country (Legal Environment, 2007).
Local Education System
The education system in Singapore is very effective as compared to its neighboring countries. People are much conscious about the education of their children and invest a large portion of their income in the educational activities of their children. Education at formal level starts in Singapore at the stage of primary school. There are mainly nine stages involved in the local education system of Singapore like Pre nursery, Nursery, Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary, Junior college, Pre University, Polytechnic and Institute of technical education. The education ministry is efficient in its work for the development of effective and updated syllabus.
The education ministry is dedicated and fully committed for the development of effective educational plans in Singapore. The texts and workbooks are written by keeping their relevancy according to the changing economy and global environment. The environment is competitive in most of the schools to develop competent skills among the children for better future. The assessment system for children is effective and they are assessed through their projects and assignments. The education system here is very successful because of its different policies and procedures. The ministry of education controls all the policies related to the education system. There are special education schools which provide education to the disable children. So, it would be better for EduTots to start its business in this country (Singapore’s Education System, 2008).
This section will discuss about the promotional plan, which is an important part of the marketing plan. Various promotional activities like sales promotion, personal selling, advertising, direct marketing etc. will be discussed in the section. //
Promotional plan
Singapore is the country where the people prefer those products and services which are developed on the basis of effective methods. To promote the business of EduTots in Singapore, it is necessary to implement integrated communication plans in an effective manner. The company should utilize different tools and techniques which are required for developing integrated communication plans such as sales promotion, advertising, direct marketing, personal selling, publicity and public relations.
Sales promotion: These are the short term tools to achieve benefits, so the company should organize some trade shows and event sponsorship programs for its marketing plan in Singapore to achieve the attention of the general public.
Advertising: This is another form of promotion and uses different tools for increasing the awareness among the customers. The company should utilize different media and television sources to promote its products and services.
Direct marketing: This is a different kind of promotional tool to directly communicate with the key customers. The company should utilize different ways for directly contacting with the general public of Singapore such as telemarketing or internet marketing. EduTots should use catalogs of its different educational plans in order to increase the awareness among the public of the country.
Personal selling: It is a form of selling directly the product or service to the customer by explaining the features of the product to him/her. The company should utilize this tool by explaining the features and benefits of its educational products to the customers here.
Publicity: It is a non-paid form of communicating information about the company and its products. The company should utilize this tool to promote its educational products and services through the help of newspapers or radio.
Public relations: It is an important tool of promotion in order to develop the goodwill of the company. The company should utilize this tool to develop a positive opinion about itself among the general public of Singapore (Mitchell, 2000).
Placement Strategies
The placement or distribution strategies to market the products and services of EduTots should be based on the research proven methods. Distribution channel of the company should be aligned with the needs and preferences of target markets. The company should utilize cost effective channels for the distribution of its educational programs and plans. It should develop effective relations with the distributors and government for the distribution or placement of its educational plans and programs.
Pricing Strategies
Pricing plays a significant role in the success or failure of business plan. The company should adopt the pricing methods to sell its educational services in Singapore which are based on the concepts of value pricing. Education system is effective here, so the company should price its educational products and services according to the income level of the general public. The pricing strategy of the company should be based on the rules and regulations of its government. The company should decide the prices of its educational services on the basis of internal and external market analysis (Sethi, 2008, January).
Conclusion
From above discussion it is concluded that, to develop a marketing plan it is necessary for the company to analyze the external as well as internal environmental factors in an effective manner. To develop expansion plan in Singapore, it is essential for the company to evaluate and implement those methods and procedures which are relevant and competent enough for achieving the success at international level. In the fast changing global economy it is an effective step of EduTots to go through the decision of expansion of its business in the country like Singapore.
References:
External Environment in the Asia Pacific Region (2008). Retrieved September 8, 2008 from http://www.apmf.org.sg/Lt3–AnalysExternalEnv.ppt#1
Legal Environment (2007). Retrieved September 8, 2008 from http://www.iesingapore.gov.sg/wp01s/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLN4g38nAHSYGYjvqRMJEgfW99X4_83FT9AP2C3IhyR0dFRQBOc5AF/delta/base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82XzBfOUZS
Mitchell, C. (2000). International Business Culture (3rd Revised Edition). California: World Trade Press.
Schiffman, L. G. and Kanuk, L. (1983). Consumer Behavior. Prentice Hall: New Jersey.
Sethi, S.P. (2008, January). Optimal Pricing of a Personalized Product. Journal of Systems Science and Systems Engineering, 17(1), 30-35.
Singapore’s Education System (2008). Retrieved September 8, 2008 from http://www.sgbox.com/singaporeeducation.html
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M8A1 Term Paper
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As stated in Modules 3 and 5, the Term Paper is a fun and practical exercise where the student can apply what he/she is learning in the course to select a product and a target foreign market, and then plan a realistic market launch. The student is to select a product (real or imagined) but not a service that he/she is to launch (from introduction through stabilization of operations) in a country other than the United States. “Launch” applies to the target market, where to sell the product. The product may be produced in the US or elsewhere, but not in the target market.

By the end of this module, you will submit your final Term Paper to the instructor having already obtained approval for your Proposal (Module 3) and submitted the Outline (Module 5). This Final paper consists of your Business Plan and an Excel Spreadsheet of anticipated cash flows (expenses and income) and the resulting bottom line (profit or loss) for each year
For the Term Paper, you will present your analysis and conclusions on the:
•Rationale for choosing your product.
•Rationale for choosing your target market.
•Rationale for choosing the country where your product will be made.
•Strategy you will employ to launch your product.
•Organizational structure you select to support the launch. Within the organizational structure you choose, explain how you will handle management, marketing, operations, finance, internal controls, etc…
•Sales and marketing aspects
•Logistics aspects….what will be involved in getting your product from country of production to country of sale
•Financial management considerations of the launch. This should include a narrative discussion in the body of your Final paper and a separate Excel spreadsheet where you itemize your various expenses and your income over an initial 10 year period. Create your own numbers, but be realistic.

For example, your start-up costs will likely be high so you might lose money the first few years. Later, you might break even. Later then, you might start making profits…Refer to the Balance Sheet Presentation [Presentation slides] [PPTX file size 334 KB] for cost and income transaction examples.
This paper will give you the opportunity to integrate all aspects of this course into a real-world scenario. Please be as realistic as possible. Show that you understand how to apply the concepts of this course in a practical project.

While your instructor is more interested in your initiative, and the quality and realism of your analysis and conclusions versus the length of the paper, it is expected that the paper will follow these requirements:

1. Employ APA style for citations and references. For assistance, refer to this widely-used guide at General APA Guidelines.
2. Except for the spreadsheet, the Term Paper Proposal, Outline, and Final paper should be submitted as Word documents.
3. Use margins of 1″ and double spaced line-spacing with 12 point font which will equal out to about 12 pages in length.Points will be deducted for serious grammar and spelling errors.

Don’t forget to run the Grammar and Spell Check and do a final, manual proof read.

Review the SBT Paper Assignment Rubric located in the “Start Here” section of the course for more information on grading criteria. Evaluation of the Term Paper will be based on the criteria for the:

1. Topic & Introduction
2. Content
3. References
4. Documentation & Grammar
5. Synthesis & Conclusion

You will need to closely review these evaluation measures as you research and write.