V. Competitive Analysis
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Direct & Indirect Competitors
The following businesses are located within a 30-mile radius of [Company Name], thus providing either direct or indirect competition for customers:
Country Horse Ranch
Country Horse Ranch is a horse boarding company in [location]. In business for over 35 years, Country Horse Ranch is well known in the community. The stable offers self-care boarding which includes a monthly rental fee for a basic stall. The customers are responsible for all feeding, care, and grooming for their own horses. Horse owners who have specific requirements for their horses and want to take a hands-on approach to horse care prefer this facility because it is one of the cheapest options available. The stable fee includes access to the riding trails available on the company’s large horse ranch.
This company does not offer horse training or horseback riding lessons.
Fanny’s Full Service Horse Stables
Fanny’s Full Service Horse Stables is a local full-care boarding facility. The company charges a boarding fee by the week or the month, so customers can choose to board their horses on a short-or-long-term basis. Fanny’s provides all the necessary horse care supplies and equipment and is ideal for customers who are looking for a hands-off approach to horse ownership. The boarding fees include pasture access and daily grooming and exercise sessions with experienced farmhands.
While this company offers many of the same services as [Company Name], it does not offer horse training or horseback riding lessons, which is something that many locals have requested. Additionally, the company’s customer service is lacking according to many customer reviews.
Hilly Land Horse Boarding
Founded in 1975, Hilly Land Horse Boarding is also a local horse boarding company that offers partial care services. The customer is responsible for providing all the supplies their horse will need, but the company will provide the care on a daily basis. This stable is a popular choice for horse owners with busy schedules who still want to use all of their own horse supplies. This company provides boarding services at a moderate price point, making it a popular choice for horse owners who can’t afford a full-care stable. Stable fees include Hilly Land’s pasture access.
This company does not offer riding lessons or horse training.
Competitive Advantage
[Company Name] enjoys several advantages over its competitors. Those advantages include:
- Customer-oriented service: [Company Name] will have a full-time sales manager to keep in contact with customers and answer their everyday questions. [Founder’s Name] realizes the importance of accessibility to her customers, and will further keep in touch with them through weekly newsletters.
- Management: [Founder’s Name] has been extremely successful working in the horse boarding business and will be able to use her previous experience to assure customers of the care that [Company Name] will take to do the job right. Her unique qualifications will serve customers in a much more sophisticated manner than [Company Name]’s competitors.
- Relationships: Having lived in the community for 35 years, [Founder’s Name] knows many of the local leaders, newspapers, and other influences. Furthermore, she will be able to draw from her ties to horse owners from her work in the equestrian industry to develop an initial client base.
- Scope of Services Available: The Company will provide a wider range of services than its competitors. No other horse boarding facility in the area offers horseback riding lessons, horse training, and full-care for a single monthly fee.
