MARKETING PLAN
Creation of the business concept 
- in search of uniqueness
Entry barriers to markets 
… obstacles that have an impact on the chances of 
the enterprise to gain a foothold in the market - the 
first real condition for success. Entry barriers vary 
over time and across industries. 
Barriers have not necessarily been raised as a 
protection against new ventures - but may be 
inherent to an industry or a cluster of enterprises.
Entry barriers type A: Customer access 
• Without customer access there is no business
Entry barriers type B: Customer 
acceptance 
• Customer access is a necessary, but not always 
sufficient condition for conquering market 
shares 
• you should not underestimate performance, 
functional and design attributes, production 
costs and hence price because they are 
important acceptance promoting elements
• Economies of scale 
The diminishing unit cost as a function of volume 
per time unit. Large scale operations protect 
against invaders who will, initially, be short of 
volume 
• Experience curve 
Declining unit costs as a function of learning 
through the accumulated production during the 
overall life of the product class. 
Experience curve advantages constitute an 
effective price barrier which is rarely overcome 
by competing head-on.
• System ties 
are not just a matter of being able to guarantee 
interoperability and persistence (proprietary standards) 
and assure the customer that no unforeseen 
consequences, disruptions or other factors will happen 
to the existing routines. System ties also occur by way 
of workflows and procedures that have to be changed 
if new concepts are introduced. 
• Transaction costs 
part of the price and so constitute a barrier to 
customer acceptance. 3 Cs: Contact, Contract and 
Control
• Product differentiation 
Differentiation may entail a physical as well as a 
perception dimension, and in many industries it works 
as an effective blocking mechanism against 
entrepreneurial ventures. 
In industries with a high degree of product 
differentiation suppliers have apparently understood 
the value of effective segmentation and positioning. 
• Compatibility 
a supply or a product will seamlessly fit into a 
customer's activities and processes
• References 
• The newcomer enterprise may attempt to concentrate its 
foothold-gaining strategy on customers who are especially 
willing to run a risk, or who have done well by being 
innovators. Or they may try to interest customers in a joint 
venture development (pilot projects) in which the customer 
becomes the co-owner of the innovation and has a certain 
ability to influence things at a modest price 
• Brand equity 
perceived quality, mindshare, and loyalty. Branded goods or 
corporate branding are predominant decision criteria for 
customers indicate considerable differences in customers' 
quality perceptions.
Entry barriers type C: Competitor 
reaction 
• obviously a barrier that the entrepreneur will 
always have to consider 
• important for the entrepreneur to understand 
what kind of countermoves may be expected
Strategies for market entry
• Entry strategy type A: First mover 
- first, the biggest, best 
• Entry strategy type B: Differentiation
Entry strategy type C: 
Generic product-market strategy
Marketing Plan 
• The target market strategy 
• The product/service strategy 
• Pricing strategy 
• Distribution strategy 
• Advertising and promotion 
• Sales strategy 
• Sales and marketing forecasts.
• See page 87 Business Plan That Work

Marketing Process for Startup Entrepreneur

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Creation of thebusiness concept - in search of uniqueness
  • 5.
    Entry barriers tomarkets … obstacles that have an impact on the chances of the enterprise to gain a foothold in the market - the first real condition for success. Entry barriers vary over time and across industries. Barriers have not necessarily been raised as a protection against new ventures - but may be inherent to an industry or a cluster of enterprises.
  • 6.
    Entry barriers typeA: Customer access • Without customer access there is no business
  • 8.
    Entry barriers typeB: Customer acceptance • Customer access is a necessary, but not always sufficient condition for conquering market shares • you should not underestimate performance, functional and design attributes, production costs and hence price because they are important acceptance promoting elements
  • 10.
    • Economies ofscale The diminishing unit cost as a function of volume per time unit. Large scale operations protect against invaders who will, initially, be short of volume • Experience curve Declining unit costs as a function of learning through the accumulated production during the overall life of the product class. Experience curve advantages constitute an effective price barrier which is rarely overcome by competing head-on.
  • 11.
    • System ties are not just a matter of being able to guarantee interoperability and persistence (proprietary standards) and assure the customer that no unforeseen consequences, disruptions or other factors will happen to the existing routines. System ties also occur by way of workflows and procedures that have to be changed if new concepts are introduced. • Transaction costs part of the price and so constitute a barrier to customer acceptance. 3 Cs: Contact, Contract and Control
  • 12.
    • Product differentiation Differentiation may entail a physical as well as a perception dimension, and in many industries it works as an effective blocking mechanism against entrepreneurial ventures. In industries with a high degree of product differentiation suppliers have apparently understood the value of effective segmentation and positioning. • Compatibility a supply or a product will seamlessly fit into a customer's activities and processes
  • 13.
    • References •The newcomer enterprise may attempt to concentrate its foothold-gaining strategy on customers who are especially willing to run a risk, or who have done well by being innovators. Or they may try to interest customers in a joint venture development (pilot projects) in which the customer becomes the co-owner of the innovation and has a certain ability to influence things at a modest price • Brand equity perceived quality, mindshare, and loyalty. Branded goods or corporate branding are predominant decision criteria for customers indicate considerable differences in customers' quality perceptions.
  • 14.
    Entry barriers typeC: Competitor reaction • obviously a barrier that the entrepreneur will always have to consider • important for the entrepreneur to understand what kind of countermoves may be expected
  • 15.
  • 16.
    • Entry strategytype A: First mover - first, the biggest, best • Entry strategy type B: Differentiation
  • 17.
    Entry strategy typeC: Generic product-market strategy
  • 18.
    Marketing Plan •The target market strategy • The product/service strategy • Pricing strategy • Distribution strategy • Advertising and promotion • Sales strategy • Sales and marketing forecasts.
  • 19.
    • See page87 Business Plan That Work