Popcornland Research Paper

Popcorn Haven Business Opportunity
Name
BUS 362 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Prof. Blank
November 10, 2014

Popcorn Haven Business Opportunity
Franchising began back in the 1850 's when Isaac Singer invented the sewing machine (Daszkowski, 2014). In order to distribute his machines outside of his geographical area and provide training to customers, Singer began selling licenses to entrepreneurs in different parts of the country and franchising was born (Daszkowski, 2014). Even in the face of the recent worldwide economic slowdown, the franchise sector has grown and remained a significant global force. There is usually a much higher likelihood of success when an individual opens a franchise since a proven business model
It has been featured as the go to snack for watching movies in a theatre. However, one of the worst – and most common – mistakes entrepreneurs make is assuming that a market exists for their product or service (Zimmerer, Scarborough, & Wilson, 2008). The majority of Popcorn Haven’s locations are in shopping malls and retail shopping centers. These areas have many different people, of all ages, visiting and relatively high foot traffic. Although, Popcorn Haven is a loved snack in Georgia and Illinois, it has not been tested on the West Coast in Los Angeles, CA. As a matter of fact, there are no corporate owned shops or franchises in California. In addition to collecting and analyzing demographic data about the people in a particular geographic area and comparing the results to the profile of a typical customer, I learned more by visiting the malls and retail shopping centers where I am considering opening my shop. The food court at shopping malls gives customers a break from shopping to sit down and have a meal or grab a quick snack. Ideally, my customers will take a bag of popcorn with them while they shop or home to enjoy
Also, the increase in online shopping has made the need for shopping at malls less necessary. Although, anyone from the wealthy to lower class can afford and enjoy popcorn, foot traffic is one of the best ways to advertise and gain sales. I would choose a retail location that has a mix of high end to discount stores for my shop because of the state of the economy and the increase in online shopping. For example, in one prime location in Los Angeles there is an enclosed high end mall with stores like Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Gucci. On the other hand, across the street there is an open air retail shopping center with a Target, Old Navy, Nordstroms Rack, Ross Dress for Less, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls. Both locations have a food court. I would choose to have my shop inside the food court with the lower end and discount designer brand stores. Upon observation, the retail center with the discount designer brand stores was always more crowded than the mall with the high end stores year round. I also enjoy the mix of shopping and an indoor/outdoor food court. Customers can purchase food and sit outside and eat in a café style area. This environment is ideal for a city with great weather like Los