John Lankford

El Monte, CA (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal

Exotic Ecosystems

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Location: El Monte
Industry: Manufacturing
Year Founded: 2008
Number Employees: 1-10 people
Description: Executive Summary Exotic Ecosystems is an exciting start-up company in the field of Aquarium Automatic Water Changing Devices; respected industry analysts such as American Pet Products Manufacturers Assn. Research states the Aquarium industry is an $2 billion industry as of 2007-2008. Products and Services Exotic Ecosystems will develop and distribute Auatomatic water changing devices. Initially, the manufacturing of our devices will be subcontracted, while we develop the supporting software and systems internally, although we plan to manufacture our products in-house in future years. Unlike our competitors, we have establish with this product a solution that nothing else can perform. Our products are also distinct in that they are small user freindly. Our systems can be customized by the end user for his or her unique, individual aquarium - for example, if custom requirements are needed all the customer will have to do is place the corresponding pumps in the location that is needed. Market Our primary target markets include, but are not limited to, the family consumer, wholesale aquarium product distributers, and retail establishments. The combined number of "potential" customers for our products is well over 15,000,000; we will focus on a more realistic and attainable three-year sales goal of roughly 20,000 users nationwide, which will generate many dollars in sales revenues. Management The founders of Exotic Ecosystems, John J. Lankford and Charles Colby, have been associates for a year; they create the perfect synergy to ensure the success of our company. John J. Lankford is a Aquarium industry veteran with more than 5 years of successfully penetrating previously unseen markets niches, maintaining volatile life support systems, and installing and integrating large scale commercial and residential installations. He is also, accomplished in thinking outside the box. Charles Colby is a Independent Investor and entrepenuer, and is considered an business expert, having previously invested, built from ground up, and run many successful companies. By focusing on our strengths, our key customers, and our customers' needs, Exotic Ecosytems will increase sales to several hundreds of thousands of dollars within two years, while also improving the gross margin on sales, cash management and working capital. 1.1 Mission Exotic Ecosystems mission is to become the leading vendor of Automatic Water Changers Nationwide. Through a combination of evolving technologies, miniaturization, affordability for the end-user, programming capabilities and ease of use, Exotic Ecosystems will be known as the premier developer/supplier of potentially life-saving, money saving, and water chemistry improving prouducts. 1.2 Keys to Success The keys to success in this business are: • Product quality and efficiancy. • Utilizing creative resources and thinking in order to improve upon current systems, while differentiating ourselves from our competition. • Marketing: either dealing with channel issues and/or barriers to entry, or solving problems with direct advertising and promotion budgets in order to penetrate our target markets. • Management: products delivered on time, costs controlled, marketing budgets managed. There is a temptation to increase growth at the expense of profits; we will keep a close eye on this temptation in order to live up to our plan. • Sustaining controlled growth in order to manage start-up costs more efficiently. To maintain these key factors, Exotic Ecosystems needs include start-up funding, partnering with value-added investor/partners, aggressive marketing, product branding, increasing reach into target markets, affiliating with the right channel partners, competitive intelligence and appropriate use of industry contacts and relationships. 1.3 Objectives Exotic Ecosystems has identified three types of objectives that will serve as challenging but attainable goals for the organization. They are: Business Objectives 1. To become the premier vendor in the evolving Aquarium industry. 2. To reach profitability within one year of the company's launch. 3. To develop additional profit centers such as additional products and services within the first two years. Financial Objectives 1. Increase product sales to several hundreds of thousands of dollars annually by the end of the second year. 2. Bring gross margin up and maintain that high level by the third year. 3. Improve inventory turnover on an ongoing basis, until "just-in-time" inventory is standard by the third year. Marketing Objectives 1. Focus on target marketing to increase market penetration and domination. 2. Expand target markets with controlled growth. 3. Establish brand awareness for the Exotic Ecosystems name and products. 4. Position ourselves as the leading Automatic Water Changer/Aquarium Product manufacturing company in the U.S.A.