What’s Next?

What’s Next?

Existing Market:

Based on feedback, what seems to make sense for growth in the existing market is to start with making allies among business and political elites. Marketing as a solution to partisan bickering that all sides can find palatable is essential. The single greatest threat to this venture is stifling regulation at either the state or federal level, preempting this by making well placed allies will prove invaluable to long term success. Any existing legislation and regulations that stand in the way will also need to be removed, making it all the more important to drum up support within the government. Naturally this will also require significant popular support, gaining the support of well known and respected persons that can help to bring the idea before the public will be even more essential than acquiring legislative and regulatory support.

Once the necessary support has been drummed up it will be necessary to get the administrative resources in place for the initial flood of customers, getting a good idea of how many people will make up the first wave and how much will be needed to adequately serve them is essential. Also, to cut down on early costs, there should be a focus on preventative care right from the start. Once all the groundwork is laid it will then be necessary to expand and market aggressively, even if it results in losses for a time. More than anything it is necessary to get as many people to sign on as possible as quickly as possible, both to increase the resources we have to work with and to grant a better bargaining position.

New Market:

There is a fundamental problem with the question of a new market in terms of this venture. There is, in essence, no new market because the market being pursued is everyone in need of healthcare, meaning everyone period. And while there are superficial differences between these markets, they will all be sold essentially the same product in essentially the same way. The focus will, as always, be on the product itself being objectively superior to its competitors. The only real difference will come in that its political neutrality will be emphasized more with the general public, while cost effectiveness will be emphasized with major corporations and more affluent members of society.

I think I may have misunderstood the extent to which previous assignments wanted me to narrow my focus on specific segments of society. Which means that I have effectively answered this question several times now in previous assignments. I seem to have managed to find a product that everyone needs for much the same reasons regardless of demographic. This makes it difficult to really go into much each segment of the overall market, as they are all essentially the same from the perspective of this venture. Everyone needs or will need health care, everyone needs it to provide good care for a low price, there is little more that needs to be said on the matter. Customers needs will be met so long as new customers are regularly brought in. It is the wonder of non profit co ops that each new customer directly improves the quality of the service for everyone else. What I have learned from all my interviewees, however, is that the greatest hurdles are all at the very beginning and revolve around getting enough initial support to shield against entrenched competitors as well as provide sufficient starting capital.