Business_Management_Essay

Unit 2 Individual Project Stephany Duarte Advanced Entrepreneurship As a product manager for Triangle Solutions I decided to branch out and create a new product line. The product line that I decided to create is a clothing line for obese children. Children that are obese have many disadvantages when compared to children that are not. It is not only due to the fact of their health but also because most parents struggle to find clothing that fit them. In order to fit the child’s oversized waist the parent has to buy a size of clothing for a much older child or even go into adult sizes and this means that the pants are way too long and either have to be tailored or rolled up. The children are often times teased due to clothing not being cool, in style, or fitting properly. According to the centers for disease control and prevention, childhood obesity has gone up allot in the past 30 years. Although you can look at genetics, stress, environment, or behavior obese children overall is due to too many calories consumed and not enough calories burned up. In 1980 only 6.5% of children between the ages of six and eleven were considered to be overweight. Since then the National average of obese children has grown over 20% with no signs of stopping unless parents, schools, and the media become involved. Kids that are overweight also have a greater chance of developing low self esteem and become socially isolated. This could also cause our children to have a decreased life expectancy than children of previous generations (The national average of obesity in children). Now with all this being said there is definitely a market out there for parents who want their children to look just the same as all the other children. Developing a clothing line that is trendy and what all the kids are wearing the obese child will feel more at ease and feel like they finally fit in. At a 30% National average that is a huge market because it is estimated to be about 6 million overweight kids in the US alone. That is approximately 1 in 3 children. There is a small niche of plus size children’s clothing being offered currently by makers like JCPenny and LL Bean. Currently there is a great chance of infiltrating the market and becoming the number one producer of plus size trendy clothing for kids (Nellis, C). The marketing strategies that would be used are television commercials and radio ads. There will also be a website created so that parents are able to shop online not only in the US but all over the world. The website should contain a wish list section so the child can pick what they like and save the items in their wish list so parents can have access and order the correct things. The idea of trendy clothing for obese children will be a huge draw for the child as well as the parent. The pricing should be comparable to the price of an average size clothing item of the same quality. Also on the website there should be ideas and tips for parents and children to help the child become physically active and to make healthy food choices. I will find partners to help in this business and go to banks with my business proposal in order to find capital. I am very concerned about this issue and want all children to have the same opportunities. References The national average of obesity in children, Retrieved on October 23, 2011 from http://www.livestrong.com/article/343010. Nellis, C. Fitting in: plus size kids need fashion too!, Retrieved on October 23, 2011 from http://fashion.about.com/cs/kidstrends.