Move to the Philippines

Window Nation has been in business for the past seven years and has made significant progress and profit with the current four branches that are located in Cleveland, OH, Baltimore, MD, Lorton, VA, and Huntersville, NC. The most recent office that opened was in Lorton which was approximately one and a half years ago. This office has proven to be yet another profitable office with revenues up to 7 million in the first year that it was opened. This proposal will provide a brief overview of the Philippines and an outline of how we will conduct our research in preparation to open a Window Nation satellite office.

Country Overview

After some initial research, we believe that the Philippines would be a suitable country to research for the possible satellite office. The Philippines has more than 90 million people where the male and female population is evenly divided. The capital of the Philippines is Manila which is located on the island of Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines. The two official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English.

The typical business hours in the Philippines are similar to the hours of operation in the other four branches that are located in the U.S. Businesses usually open at 8:00am and close at 5:00 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. with an hour or an hour and a half break around noon. Their weekend hours differ where they are not typically open on Saturday and Sundays. Filipinos are known for their unique dishes that have been, "...heavily influenced by the Spanish over its 300 years of ruling" (The Filipino Association of Stevens Tech, 2013). Some dishes that one should try when visiting the Philippines are: Lumpia - similar to the spring roll, filled with either or a combination of chicken, beef, or shrimp. Adobo - made with pork or chicken that is simmered in soy sauce, oil, vinegar, bay leaf, and black pepper. Sinigang - a sour and salty dish made in sour stock of tamarind, guava, and calamansi cooked with pork, fish, shrimp, or chicken or a combination of meats.

The Philippines has had a positive economic growth despite the typhoon that struck the southern part of the island in December 2012. Last year it had the 44th largest economy in the world and should hold the No. 16 spot by the time it reaches 2050. "The gross domestic product of the Philippines grew 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2012, according to the country's central bank,

Window Nation Proposal

February 3, 2013

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outperforming all other growth rates in the region except China's" (Villafranca, 2013). 2013 is even more promising for the economic growth and will be, "...driven by solid household consumption as consumer spending will be supported by sustained inflow of remittances and the still well-anchored inflation expectations" (Bagaforo, 2013). Tourism will also play an important role in being the top go-to destination by various websites and travel magazines.

Audience

Our formal report has multiple key players and audiences:

* President/CEO: Harley Magden. You have the power to accept or reject the formal report before it is passed onto the primary audience.

* Co-President: Aaron Magden. He also has the power to accept or reject the formal report before it passed onto the primary audience.

* Primary: Chuck Thall, General Sales Manager of Cleveland, OH/Baltimore, MD, as well as Sales Managers of Lorton, VA and Huntersville, NC who are the primary key players who decides whether to accept our recommendations found in this formal report.

* Secondary: Ginger Andrews, Human Resources Manager and Britney Clever, Marketing Manager, all employees of Window Nation who will be affected by helping with the new office and employees those are willing to relocate to the Philippines. External vendors such as Vytex, Softlite, MidSouth, and Alside who will also have a say to work with us side by side with the satellite office addition.

* Auxiliary: Window Nation employees who may read the report, but who will not be directly affected by it. This group would include administrative staff, canvassers, and telemarketers.

* Watchdog: Other companies who are looking to expand in the Philippines, Better Business Bureau, Angie's List, and competitors of Window Nation who are looking to expand internationally.

Window Nation Proposal

February 3, 2013

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Topics to Investigate

We plan to answer the following questions in detail:

1. What does the company need from the country?

* Culture - How can Window Nation operate in this culture and still maintain its identity?

* Legal Restrictions - What challenges will Window Nation encounter in order to open a satellite office?

* Political Stability - How stable is the government to ensure that the store can be successful for years to come?

* Economic Feasibility - Under what prices and costs will Window Nation need to operate? Can it still be profitable? What is Window Nation's economic standing?

2. What does the company need from the Philippines market?

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