Simon Hare Unit one business at work
Terms of reference
This report has been asked for by my business studies teacher , Mrs Cole. It is required as part of my AVCE business studies award unit business at work
This report will consider how culture, communication, and structure affect the success of the business. The report will explain how quality assurance and control systems help the business to add value to its products and services
This report will be compiled by the following methods :
Osbourne advanced business
The internet ()
Also my partner works at the business that I will be studying and interviewed the owner MR M.J High
Chosen business: Highway nurseries and garden nurseries and garden centre
Address: London Road
Framingham Pigot
Norwich
Highway nurseries and garden centre is constantly developing. During the early eighties it just had a few greenhouses and a barn. In just under twenty years this “small” garden centre has gone from strength to strength and grown into a successful business, which is more than just a garden centre. Not only does it sell plants but also sells fencing, garden tools and accessories it also has an aquatic area. The biggest and most daring developments to occur at highways nurseries would be the coffee shop an gift shop, fortunately these departments have proved successful and has only helped to create exceptional performance throughout all department at highway nurseries.
Highway nurseries is a private limited company. This means the shares are sold privately and not to the public
Business departments
Production - changing natural resources into a product and/or supply a service.
Highway nurseries produce their own bedding and plant pots this plants are constantly monitored by the staff keeping close attention to temperature and feeding them when needed. When plants have reached full potential they are then sold.
Research and development- all businesses need to research to keep up with what the public want so that they don’t lose out from the competition.
There is no particular research department at Highway nurseries. The two leading directors of highway nurseries research into other businesses and visit ...
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Production - changing natural resources into a product and/or supply a service.
Highway nurseries produce their own bedding and plant pots this plants are constantly monitored by the staff keeping close attention to temperature and feeding them when needed. When plants have reached full potential they are then sold.
Research and development- all businesses need to research to keep up with what the public want so that they don’t lose out from the competition.
There is no particular research department at Highway nurseries. The two leading directors of highway nurseries research into other businesses and visit similar establishments to get an idea of how their competitors are going
Marketing- seeing to customers needs. Sometimes to sell your product you must persuade or remind potential customers about that product and why they need it. This can be done through good marketing strategies. Advertisements “cold calling” on the telephone could be one way of starting a good marketing strategy.
Highway nurseries does not really have a marketing strategy as such, all employees are trained well so that they can advise or persuade the customer what to buy. Also Highway nurseries has a friendly advertisement on the local radio. Occasionally highway nurseries put in advertisement in the local newspaper.
Finance- Deals with the control of money and keeping records of profit and loss. Also involve in the distribution of wages
There is no financial department at Highway nurseries instead an accountant come in once a week and checks the income and the profit. Also any new projects are discussed with this accountant first to see if it can fit into the budget
Human resources-deals with the hiring and firing of staff members, staff training.
At highway nurseries the two leading directors deal with the hiring and firing
Administration- deals with mail handling, data storage, computer services the publishing of newsletters forms compliment notes.
Highway nurseries complex provide a large administration office. The office deals with the work rota. Enquiries are sent to administration also. This office also stores all the details of the employees on the computers
Communication in business
Without communication the world as we know it could not possibly exist. This is also true in businesses. If a business does not communicate properly then it simply will not exist.
Different forms of communication
- body language
- verbal (spoken)
- written (memo ,letters)
- electronic (e mail, SMS etc)
- symbols (signs, flags etc)
in businesses there certain communication channels
- Internal and external
- Up and down
- Formal and informal
- Open or restricted
Internal communication:
Is kept within business. Generally no one externally would be interested on the internal communication. Examples of internal communication would be the discussion of business plans between staff members
External communication:
Sent outside of the business, to other business or individuals for example a job advertisement for in a newspaper or a faxing order through to a wholesaler
Downwards communication:
Communication is travelling down from the top of the business (management) usually giving instructions or information to the work force
Upwards communication:
Communication upwards from the workforce at the bottom of the business towards the top(management) provides feed back and new ideas for the management to review
Formal communication:
Used in all legal documents. Also used to maintain discipline and also gives a business image of professionalism.
Informal communication:
Not really used in businesses. It is used when you make you make friends and socialise at work
Restricted communication:
This type of communication is only available to a select few. This may be because the information is a breach of security such as medical records, these are confidential. In business the select people are usually the people of high power. In many ways its more effective to only let a few select people know because then it stops unnecessary “fuss”.
Open communication:
Complete opposite to restricted communication. Anybody can have this information it could be a memo or a newsletter.
Highway nurseries communicate internally through “walkie talkies”. Every employee is provided with and hand set. They are good for many reasons, you know where everybody is at all times, ask each other if there are things in stock, security is better things are less like to be stolen if all staff can be contacted immediately. This method is quick and effective also not that because there “walkie talkies” you don’t have to pay any money for talking unlike telephones.
Externally highways nurseries rely on telephones to answer any enquiries from customers or other businesses. Highway nurseries tends not to rely on electronic mail because sometimes it is lost or takes many days to be received , Highway nurseries can not afford to do this because they have to keep up the image of high standards and professionalism.
Other ways they communicate is through advertising. Catchy radio ads, newspaper ads and posters all provide external communication to help Highway nurseries spread the word about there product. Also High nurseries provide certain areas of Norwich city centre with plants. This also attracts customers because they may see something they like and go to Highway Nurseries to buy it
There are 4 types of business structure
- Flat
- Hierarchical
- Divisional
- Matrix
Flat structure
Simple structure it is just one layer of command for example a shop owner would be at the top of the structure and the workforce would be underneath
Hierarchical structure
Like Flat structure but with more layers more complications. Often used for bigger companies. Ultimately the top of the structure controls everything. Everybody takes orders from the level above
Divisional structure
Businesses reorganise themselves into smaller groups of operation controlled under a higher management the divisions can be spread so that different divisions can do different tasks
Matrix structure
More suited to a business with a many projects on its hands. Business sectors can come together and pull all their resources together in order to complete the project in hand
Management styles and culture
The way a business is structured and managed can effect the culture within the business
For example if the organisation is teamwork based then a common culture can easily be adopted and adapted. If on the other hand a business is managed very much ‘from the top’ then the work force may be less co-operative in adopting the same culture
Autocratic style
The manager makes all the decisions. They are obeyed. Employees tend to be less motivated
This is more suited to hierarchical structures
Joe high runs his business through an autocratic style he hold occasional meetings of which employees opinions are taken into account but Joe high has the final say
Democratic style
The manager makes the decisions, but can consult in the process employees tend to be far more motivated
This is suited to more of a flatter structure
‘Laissez faire’ style
The manager lets the employees get on with it. Employees tend to be less productive
Suited to small team structures
Highway nurseries business structure
Highway nurseries is a combination of two structures, hierarchal and flat structure. It is too small to be a complete hierarchal structure and it has too many departments to be a flat structure.
The proprietors Joe high and Janet high own the business and control all their employees, they have control over everything. There are several departments which all have heads. The head of departments run each department under the control of the proprietors.the outdoor retail ( plants, bedding etc)is the main department of business, Joe High runs this one as he produces a large percentage of the of the products himself.
Sometimes Highway nurseries may have a matrix structure, this is because they sometimes perform projects involving everyone at highway nurseries.
Mission statements
Mission statement-A short memorable declaration of essential intent.
Highway nurseries mission statement: ”What ever we do, we want to do it well. We see ourselves as an efficient company, with are aims to continue to provide the highest standards and create a good atmosphere and brilliant facilities for all our customers. We like to think that we keep up the pace with upgrades-within a reasonable budget and that we are growing in a profitable manner.”
Business aim
Business aim – What the Business would like to achieve, profit making for example.
Highway nurseries Business aims: “Try to improve existing business, keep up with changes, which include the changes in trends and meeting the needs of what people want. Try to maintain equal development with both the garden area and the retail area.”
Business objective
Business Objective-A statement of what an organisation wants to achieve through its operation.
Highway nurseries Business objective: “For the business to progress it currently is and to achieve it’s planned campaign. Also to put profit back into the business to provide the best for the customer as far as quality is concerned.”
There are several departments within Highways nurseries
Highway nursery produce all there own bedding and pot plants these is then sold through retail. The plants are grown in the greenhouses and are carefully monitored and kept in ideal conditions through out the year so that they can be at there highest quality when being sold.
Is Highway nurseries meeting there objectives?
Highway nurseries is a very successful business. They most definitely meet their objectives. Joe High, the proprietor said basically that Highway nurseries objectives were to:
- Progression keep in touch with reality and technology
- Provide good customers service and the best quality goods possible
- Put profit back into the business to provide and even better customer service.
These are some of the things that profit was spent on to provide better customer service:
More modernised glasshouses:
These glasshouses produce better quality plants. Having more plants and more variety give the customer a wider selection to choose from increasing the customer service. This will also mean higher sales which equals more profit.
Car park expansion
Profit has been put back into the business to expand the small car park. The car park will provide more space for customers to park giving more access to highway Nurseries
Improvements in the coffee shop
Specialist chefs were able to be employed through the return of profit. With new chefs the menu can be more varied and be of a higher quality
Expansion in the gift shop
Buying in more things so that the gifts can appeal to more people
Without profit these things would not of been seen to so quickly or easily:
Disabled parking, easy access for wheel chairs which includes wheelchair slopes, disabled toilets and specially made tables that are made to fit the wheelchair. This is very important to cater for the disabled because it makes it easy for anyone to visit which is good because then nobody will get excluded.
Highway nurseries have a website so that they can advertise nationally
Highway's proprietors Joe and Janet High and their family know all there is to know about gardening.
From a small holding on a previously rented site Joe and Janet have built up Highway Nurseries Garden Centre to one of the largest independent businesses in its sector in East Anglia. Today the business is situated just five minutes from Norwich's southern bypass and covers an area of some 19 acres bought on a piecemeal basis since 1981. Over a period of five years Joe and Janet moved the existing glasshouses on the rented smallholding to the new site, building their house and a barn from which they sold plants grown in the nursery.
As their reputation for quality plants grew the business expanded and the big breakthrough occurred in 1991 when dual planning of the site as a nursery and garden centre was obtained. In 1998 the retail area was increased by 200 per cent and more recently, the company invested heavily in a high-specification one-acre block of glass to cater for the increasing demand for own grown plants.
The business remains a family affair with Joe and Janet's two daughters actively involved and the restaurant and gift shop areas named after young grandchildren whom it is hoped will take up the business challenge in the future.
Ways to improve the business
Highway nurseries is a very successful business there are a few things that they could improve on
Staff training
Although the heads of the departments went through an interview system and training none of the other staff did and neither the heads or the staff require a health and safety induction. I think that if proper training was given to staff then they could understand there role as an employee better thus improving customer service
Customer service till
They could have one these to provide plant information a place where customers could ask questions about plants or ask for suggestions if they are not to sure
Better communication within the business
Unfortunately there is no staff room for staff to take breaks or a notice board to inform them of any events that might occur in the future. I think if this was addressed then the staff may work harder because they would be happier. Also if they had notice boards you could see how well the business is going see all targets this would motivate the staff and they want to work harder
Business departments