Verdant Leisure: Planning for Growth, Funding, and Exit Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Verdant Leisure's growth strategies, focusing on its expansion within the UK holiday park market. It begins with an introduction to planning for growth and its significance for SMEs, specifically Verdant Leisure, and then explores key considerations for analyzing growth, including portfolio management and the application of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix and GE McKinsey matrix to assess market position and investment decisions. The report then applies the Ansoff Growth Matrix to identify growth opportunities through market penetration, product development, market development, and diversification. Furthermore, the report discusses potential funding sources for business development and formulates a growth plan and potential exit strategies for the company. The conclusion summarizes the findings, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning for sustainable growth in the competitive travel and tourism industry.

Planning for Growth
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
PART 1............................................................................................................................................4
Key consideration for analysing growth......................................................................................4
Evaluation of growth opportunities with the guidence of Ansoff Growth Matrix......................8
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................9
Potential sources of funding for business development ..............................................................9
Business plan for growth...........................................................................................................11
Exit strategies of business .........................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15
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INTRODUCTION
Planning for growth is an strategical tool companies use to frame a suitable track or a
plan to enhance the growth opportunities for the organisation (Gunder, Madanipour and Watson,
2017). Planning for growth involve business expansion strategies, market expansion and various
strategies that enable the corporate organisations to improve the market presence.
This report is emphasis over the case study of Verdant Leisure. Verdant Leisure is a
holiday park company. The company is among the top small medium enterprise (SMEs) of UK.
Company started its business operations in the year 2010 (Welling and et.al., 2019). Graham
Hogson, Andrew Wall and Bev Dixon are the founder's of the company. The company operates
its business operation in Scotland and England.
Henceforth this report analysed about growth opportunities available for the organisation
in process to expand the business operations. Ansoff Growth vector Matrix is also analysed for
identification of various growth opportunities available for the SME. Further more this report is
also emphasis over various funding sources available in order to process the business growth. All
the available funding sources will be critically analysed in order to assess the profitability of
such funding sources in respect to the SME. Suitable growth plan will also frame in this report
for the business. This report will also focus over exit options for the SME.
PART 1.
Key consideration for analysing growth
Growth opportunities are specified as various external and internal factors associated
with business operations that enable the organisation to improve the market presence. External
factors related to the business play the key role in analysis of the growth opportunities for the
business.
Portfolio Management
Portfolio management is an strategical tool used by company's to analyse the position of
company in the market. Portfolio management involve branding of company to enhance the
growth opportunities for the organisation in the market (Baldassarre and et.al., 2017). Analysis
about business and growth opportunities are conducted with the guidelines of Boston
consultancy group matrix.
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Boston Consultancy Group Matrix (BCG) : BCG guides the company management about the
brand portfolio. Brand portfolio is an effective tool to evaluate the presence of company in the
market (Morris and Daley, 2017). BCG is a productive tool to identify the brand position in the
market and also to assess the potential growth for the company in the target market. Assessment
factors involve in BCG matrix can be summarised in the following way.
Brand Quadrants: Brand quadrant is a strategical tool to make the suitable investment and
business decision.
 Dogs: Dogs is an effective strategical tool for decision-making in respect to business
development. Dogs is identified as all such company's products that carry the low market
share and low growth rate (Lee, Kim and Shin, 2017). Company's products like Powfoor
Spa and Holiday Faq's can be a part of this aspect inveolve in Boston Consultancy group
Matrix. Market share of both the products offered by Vedant Leisure is low. Product
under this category needs development in product quality and also needs to implement
effective marketing strategies in order to project such products of the company in front of
target customers.
 Cash Cows: Cash cows is comprises with all such products of company that contains
high market share but low market growth. Products under this category are profitable for
the company but the growth rate is low. Verdant Leisure products spa is covered under
this category (Joy, 2017). Company's spa facility has a high market share but the growth
rate of the products in the market is not attractive enough. Company can make suitable
marketing strategies such as digital marketing strategy in order to improve the product
presence in the market. Company management can also offer suitable discounts which
will also attract to target customers such as travellers and other tourists.
 Stars: All the products of the company that contains high growth rate and high market
share in target market. Products category covered under this segment improves
companies profitability as well as growth potential in target market. Products of the
Verdant Leisure such as holiday packages is covered under this category (Estrades and
Campoy, 2018). Holiday packages offer by the Verdant Leisure is among the primary
source of earning for the company. Star product range also improves company's brand
presence in target market as company management project all its star products under all
marketing campaigns. Many times current trend and fashion also influence the product
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presence in target market which also make the product a star product based on the
concept of BCG matrix. Question marks: All the products of the company that contains a low market even in
high growth market. All such company's products that is not perceived by target
customer's effectively (Provasnek, Sentic and Schmid, 2017). Product offered by Verdant
Leisure call as riverside rafting and tracking packages is covered under this category.
Company needs to have an efficient strategies in order to improve the market presence of
both the products. Company can also focus over improving branding of both the services.
Both the products category will excite to young people who likes to travel across the
world.
GE Mckinsey Matrix
GE Mckinsey is an strategical analytical tool to analysed the investment decision in
respect to multi business operation. Analysis of this strategical tool reflect about the suitability
and profitability of the investment decision in respect to the business organisation. This analysis
is framed by McKinsey and company in 1970 (Ilie And et.al., 2017). Resources are limited in
numbers specifically for the SMEs organisations so to critically evaluate the investment decision
play the crucial role in the profitably of the investment decision. Factors involve in the matrix to
critically evaluate is in the following ways.
Market Attractiveness
 Market share is an effective performance indicator for the business organisation (Salama,
T., Moselhi and Al-Hussein, 2018). BY analysing the market share company's presence
and acceptance in the target market can be evaluated before making investment decision.
 Comparative growth analysis guided about analysing the market growth of the company
in compare to other business competitors (Ilie and et.al., 2017). Comparative analysis
about the growth rate guides about the potential growth available currently in target
market.
Strength of Business
 Brand strength involve all the positive aspect about the brand that enable the company to
create its own identity in the market (Mühlbacher and et.al.,2016). Analysis about the
brand strength is a suitable way to assess the profitability of the investment decision.
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 Customer loyalty is specifies as the sustainability of the customer's in respect to buying
company's products and services. Market share is also a suitable indicator of customer
loyalty if the company is witnessing the increasing trend in market share it indicates that
customer's are loyal towards company's products and services.
Strategic Implication
Travel and tourism industry is among the major growing sector across the globe. Industry
is also attractive in nature specially for all the travel enthusiasts across the globe (Harper and
Sanchez, 2019). Company also has a potential to expand the business services across the globe.
Most of the travellers use online services to book travel lodges and hotels. Company
management can enbale the bookings over internet. Market share and growth rate of the sector
denotes about the emergence of the sector across the globe.
Evaluation of growth opportunities with the guidence of Ansoff Growth Matrix
Ansoff Growth Matrix
Ansoff Growth Matrix is a strategical tool used for enhancing the company's growth
potential in the market. This model emphasis over enhancing growth opportunities by focusing
over both existing market and also over new market (Semenova and et.al., 2018). Growth
strategies involve in this model specifically focuses on market penetration, product development,
market development and diversification. All the four aspects involve in this model potentially
increase the growth opportunities for corporate organisations.
Market Penetration: Market penetration is a strategical tool used to enhance the growth
opportunities in the existing market. After the stage of saturation in product life cycle the sales
of the product starts to decline in such a stage market penetration is an effective development
strategy for the growth of the company (Vargas-Hernández and Martínez, 2016). To enable the
growth under market penetration company use strategies like decreasing sales prices of the
products. Company also focuses more over product marketing. Market penetration also guide the
aggressive strategies like acquiring competitors in the same market to enhance the customer
base. For example management of Verdant Leisure can also focuses over reducing the sale prices
of company's travel packages. Reducing prices will enable the company management to improve
growth potential by taking competitive advantage also in the target market. Company
management can also focus over aggressive marketing strategies like utilising effective
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marketing channels like social media, internet, television to attract the target customer's across
the UK.
Product Development: Product development is an another strategical tool used under Amsoff
Matrix model to improve the growth potential in existing market. In the process of product
development company's try to focus over launching of new products in the existing market (Neil,
2017). By analysing about the potential of current market organisations focus over launching a
new products that can effectively attract the target customer's in the market. For example to
implement the product development management of Verdant Leisure can launch new services
along with the existing one's like travel guide services and other associated services like camping
service to attract the new and existing customer's in the target market. Primary and secondary
research will also be an effective tool to analyse the potential customer base for such services in
the market. Company can also make strategical partnership with other business organisations
involved in the services of travel guide to get the efficient guide to potentially implement the
strategy.
Market Development: Market development is an another strategical tool used in the model.
Market development focuses over entering into a new market in respect to new geological
location to serve more potential customer's in the market. Market development is an effective
way to improve the potential market base of the company with the support of business expansion
(Deb, 2019). For example to enable the market development company management of Verdant
Leisure can establishes company's offices in other locations in UK. Company can also cater to
different customer segments by giving attractive discounts. Company can also expand the
business operations at the international level. All such strategies effectively improve the market
presence of the company in travelling sector.
Diversification: Diversification is an another strategical aspect of the model that guide the
organisations to entertain growth opportunities in the new market. In the process of
diversification companies enter into the new market with the support of existing services.
Diversification enable the business organisations to serve the new customer segment (Aithal,
2019). This also drives the companies towards launching services an products in new domestic
market. Emphasis of this model with the support of diversification is also over entering into the
foreign market. For example company management can enhance the growth potential by
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launching company's services in the international market. Company can also address the target
customer's at the regional level in UK.
All the four strategies market penetration, product development, market development and
diversification are efficient growth strategies but company management can focus over market
penetration and product development strategy in order to expand the growth potential of
company.
Conclusion
Portfolio management strategies call GE McKinsey and brand quadrants has discussed
assessing position of company's products in the target market. Market attractiveness, strength of
business and other factors has concluded to assess the company's situation in target market
(Copur-Gencturk, Plowman and Bai, 2019). Company can utilise strategical tool like product
development and market penetration in order to achieve higher growth in target market.
TASK 2
Potential sources of funding for business development
Sources of funding is specified as all the investors that investment the financial resources
in the development of business organisations. Potential sources of funding involve various
sources that can be specifies in the following manner.
Bank: Banks are among the major funding sources for the business organisations that potentially
invest in the growth and development plan of the business. Banks are considered as the safest
approach to get investment of the growth and development plan of the business (Bartelme and
et.al., 2018). Approaching to banks is also an preferable way to generate funds as the business
organisations gets the clear image towards the repayment in the EMIs. For example company
management can apply for bank loan in order to meet the funding needs for growth strategies.
Benefits:
 Company get personalised service for loan repayment
 Affordable interest rates
 Effective repayment schedule
Drawback:
 EMIs in bank loan are not constant as it changes with the market influence
 Expensive source in term of loan foreclosure.
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Financial Institution: Financial institution is also an effective funding source that provide funds
to the business organisation for the growth and development. Financial institution in UK like
Barclay invest in corporate organisations and meet the funding requirement for such corporate
organisations (Dongxiu, 2019). Funding with financial institution is an convenient approach as
the companies get better funds as compare to banks. For example management in Verdant
Leisure can approach financial institution like Barclays in order to fulfil the funding
requirements.
Benefits:
 Provide better funds than banking institutions.
 Trustworthy source of finance
 Fast approach towards financing
Drawbacks:
 Expensive source of finance
 Financial institutions many time enable several restrictions in respect to loan repayment
Crowd Funding: Crowd funding is among the major funding sources for companies. Crowd
funding involve collecting funds by selling company's shares to general public (Birt and et.al.,
2020). Many people look always keen towards making investments in process to earn good
returns over investments and companies attract such people in crowd fun ding to meet the
financial need of the organisation. For example Verdant Leisure can issue shares in the public
domain to get the potential funds for all the growth related needs of the company.
Benefits:
 Effective tool to meet the funding need as company get good investment
 Crowd funding enable the corporate organisation to effectively control the collection of
funds and also to repayment
Drawback:
 Company's ownership get split between the people who invest funds under crowd
funding.
Justification: Company management can go for banks and financial institutions for its funding
requirements. Both the sources are safe as the interest rate will remain constant irrespective to
any economic situation.
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LO4
Business plan for growth
Executive Summary
Verdant leisure is planning to launch a service along with existing services of the
company in order to entertain more growth for the organisation. New service of the company is
to provide travel guide and camps apart from other travelling services. The company
management will include the charges of both the services in the existing packages of the
company (Jacks, 2019). Company is aiming to serve both the services in a very affordable price
range. The company will launch both the services in both England and Scotland. Company has
framed the potential marketing strategies to develop the customer base in the current target
market. The company management also aiming to target the new customer's with the support of
marketing plan to improve the growth potential of the company in the market.
Goal
 To achieve the highest market share
Objectives
 Smart: Company management has utilised smart objectives as the management set an
objective to achieve a realistic hike of 2% in market share with the launch of new
services ( Turki, Wali and Boujelbene, 2017).
 Measurable: Market share can be measured in numbers that also provide a suitable
basis to measure the growth rate.
 Achievable: Objective set for the new service launch is achievable in nature. Companies
entertain such growth figures by offering attractive new services to customers.
 Realistic: 2% is considered as realistic number based on the market growth of travel and
tourism sector (Shen and Li, 2017).
Strength
 Attractive product that will engage effectively with young generation across the world.
 Packages offered by company under this product category will also suitable for the
budgets of the college and school going students.
 Verdant Leisure involve in business operation related to the travelling that is also
considers as a trendy business segment as people come from all around the globe are
looking enthusiastic towards travelling across the globe.
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 Company also cater all its services in the most effective price range that also improves
the travelling experiences of target customers.
 New service will also improve the travelling experience of all the tarvellers and it will
also attract to lcal people who are more keen towards tracking.
Weakness:
 Travel guide service and camping service needs an experienced human resource well
engaged with all such activities professionally.
 Catering tracking service is a risky approach of conducting business as it comes up with
numerous risk even related to the life death (Harper and Sanchez, 2019).
 Company is new in the service that also drives to various demerits related to new
service.
 Resources of te Verdant Leisure is not expand in nature that also restrict the growth
potential of company.
Opportunities
 To build and improve the target customer base
 Business expansion opportunities by catering more customer base.
 Product development opportunities in order to cater more target customer's.
 Company has an immense growth opportunities by launching the new service.
 Company can also build a brand identity in the target market with the sucesful launch of
new service (Ilie and et.al., 2017).
 The new service launch will enable company management to cater the wide range of
travelling enthusiasts across the world.
Threat:
 Competition is huge in both the services under target market.
 Threat of new entrants is also huge as it do not seek much capital that will also improve
the level of competition in the target market.
 Risk is also huge in the launch of new service that can also decrease the brand image of
Verdant Leisure.
 Many individuals also involve in freelancing operation's that also improve the
competition in the target market.
PESTLE Analysis
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PESTLE Analysis can be stated as all the external factors associated with the business
organisation. PESTLE analysis for the business can be concluded in the following manner.
Political Factor: Political factors play the crucial role in analysis about the growth
opportunities available to the business organisation (Crow, 2017). Political factor involve
governmental policies, political environment in the country and other associated aspects to the
politic in the country that put an impact over company's operations. Government support
towards the corporate organisation in UK is also an effective tool use for analysis in political
factors. Government in UK are very supportive towards the corporate sector of the country as it
contribute immensely in the economy of UK specifically in the tourism sector.
Economical Factor: Economical factors involve in PESTLE analysis emphasis over
economical situation in the country. Economy in UK is among the stable economy's in the
world that play a huge supportive role for the business organisations. Stable economy motivate
and drive the government's to frame policies and strategies more sustainably (King and Johnson,
2018). Stable economical situation of country also bring FDIs in the country that also give
opportunities to frame a collaborative business partnership with big multinational companies
that effectively improve the growth potential for SMEs.
Social Factor: Social factor's indicates about the social aspects like religion, culture, people in
UK. People in UK are more keen towards the travelling that give a huge scope for the corporate
organisations involved in tours and travel (Ahi and Kuivalainen, 2017). Travelling interest of
people in UK brings various growth possibilities in form of business expansion for the Verdant
Leisure.
Technical Factor: Technical factor involve technological development in UK. Many IT
companies run business operations in UK that also resulted in to huge technological
advancement in UK. People in UK are also active for using internet and various social media
applications like Facebook (Innocent and Levi, 2017). Effective accessibility of internet also
drives the people to make decisions with the guidance of internet and that also guided the
business organisation to use internet accessibility for the growth and development of business
like enabling bookings over internet.
Legal Factor: Legal factors involve laws of UK associated with the corporate organisations.
UK government has also provided efficient licensing process for the business development
(Ahmed and et.al., 2018). Legal factors created a good scope for business organisations as the
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