Executive Summary
Who We Are
Veroh's Army is a division of Veroh, an 11-year old company owned by Uganda-born studio artist Veroniccah Muwonge. Veroh's Army will produce high fashion wearable art and accessories made in the USA of natural fabrics to benefit women and children survivors of domestic violence.
Veroh's Army will also conduct art therapy workshops for women survivors of domestic violence (DV) to help them express their feelings about their DV experience, and will incorporate the art created by these women into the company's apparel and accessories.
Veroh's Army will partner with nonprofits, celebrities, corporations and groups interested in DV awareness and prevention to promote the company and its products.
Veroh is an Oregon benefits corporation, and Veroniccah Muwonge is the sole proprietor owner and President.
Jane Foreman will be the Chief Operating Officer of Veroh's Army. Jane has an MBA and 30 years of business experience.
What We Sell
Veroh's Army will sell high-quality, high-fashion apparel and accessories that are printed with Veroniccah Muwonge's (Veroh's) art and art from other women survivors of DV. Clothing will be items such as:
•	Blouses
•	Dresses
•	Jackets
•	Sportswear
•	Shoes

Accessories will be items like, but not limited to:
•	Scarves
•	Hats
•	Jewelry
•	Totes and purses
•	Umbrellas
In addition to these products, Veroh's Army will also provide art therapy workshops for women survivors of DV. We intend to incorporate some of art created by women in these workshops into our apparel and accessories.
Who We Sell To
Our target customers are primarily women (but also men), middle income and above, who:
•	Like high quality, UNIQUE, HIGH-FASION apparel and accessories
•	Have a social conscience and want to donate to and demonstrate their commitment to DV awareness and prevention
•	Want to buy natural fabric clothing and accessories, made in the USA by a company committed to sustainable practices
Financial Summary
Financial Highlights

Company
Company Overview
Veroniccah Muwonge is an independent studio artist who was born and received her art education in Uganda. Veroniccah founded the company Veroh 11 years ago to sell her fine art original paintings and prints.
Jane Foreman has an MBA and 30 years of business experience, mostly in healthcare. She has owned three of her own companies.
The new company we are proposing will be a division of Veroh, and will have the tagline "Veroh's Army." It is currently in concept stage. The business plan is in process.
The new company will produce wearable art clothing and accessories made in the USA from natural fabrics to benefit women and children survivors of domestic violence (DV).
Veroniccah Muwonge will be 100% owner, and the company will be a division of Veroh which is a sole proprietor Oregon benefits corporation. Veroniccah will be President; Jane Foreman will be Chief Operating Officer. 100% of the net profits of the company will be donated to organizations that support women and children survivors of DV.
The company will initially be a home-based business run out of Veroniccah's apartment on NW Kearney St and Jane's apartment on N Dekum St, both in Portland, OR.

Purpose, Values, Vision and Mission
PURPOSE
The purpose of Veroh's Army is to raise money for organizations that support women and children survivors of domestic violence (DV). 
VALUES
Veroh's Army believes that art is therapy. We practice collaboration and cooperation, and feel that we can all learn from and teach one another. We are committed to respecting and supporting each other. Veroh values creativity and originality, as well as:
          Contribution                    Equality
          Integrity                            Loyalty
          Respect                             Confidentiality                     
          Sustainability                   Quality
VISION
Veroh's Army envisions itself becoming a “branded” fashion line associated with DV awareness and prevention to the same extent as the pink ribbon has become associated with breast cancer awareness and prevention. Also, Veroh's Army will become financially successful enough to enable the company to donate a minimum of 20% of its net profit to organizations that support women and children survivors of DV. Veroh’s Army would like to become a Certified B Corp within three years of introducing its first products. 
MISSION
The mission of Veroh's Army is to create and sell high-quality, high-fashion wearable art and accessories made in the USA from natural fabrics to raise awareness about and raise money for organizations that support women and children survivors of domestic violence.

Management Team
Veroniccah Muwonge will be company owner and President of Veroh's Army. She will be responsible for the creative and artistic aspects of the company, and also provide general oversight and overall strategic direction.
Veroniccah is a passionate painter and visual artist who was born and received her art education in Uganda. She has 11 years of experience as an independent visual artist. During this period she also worked with and volunteered for non-profit organizations on several art therapy and economic empowerment projects for women and children in Africa. These included HIV/AIDS-effected women and children in Uganda, former child soldiers from northern Uganda, the Maasai women of Narok Kenya and women and children from Kibera slum in Nairobi Kenya. Her art portrays her internal subjective day to day experiences of life, the African culture and that of the people she meets.

A winner of 2005 Ford Foundation Fellowship for African and Arab Artists, Veroniccah has exhibited in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, South Africa, Nigeria, France, Germany, New York, California, and Portland OR.

Veroniccah is looking forward to using visual art to drive change in her community through programs that empower women and children socially and economically.
Jane Foreman will be the company's Chief Operating Officer and will be responsible for the company's daily management functions such as operations, financial management, human resources management, project management, etc. Jane has nearly 30 years management experience, over 10 at an executive level, and has previously owned three of her own companies.
Both Veroniccah and Jane are survivors of domestic violence and are passionate about increasing DV awareness and supporting DV survivors.
Both Veroniccah and Jane have IT expertise and will work together to analyze and select needed hardware and software for the business, and to make decisions about whether to have work outsourced or produce it internally.
Veroniccah and Jane will also share responsibilities for marketing. In many cases, Veroniccah, as the artist, must make personal appearances, tell her story and let people get to know her.
The company plans to partner with local colleges to offer project and credit opportunities for students in areas such as fashion design, marketing, art therapy, etc.
Veroh and Jane will be salaried in an 80/20 ratio. After all expenses, including salaries, have been accounted for, all net profits will be donated to organizations that benefit women and children survivors of DV. Initially we hope this to be around 5% of the company’s net profit and hope for this to grow to ultimately be at least 20% of the company’s net profit.
Veroh’s Army also plans to create an advisory board. Some people we intend to ask are Florence King (Uganda native), Kim Silva (ED of Portland Outdoor School), Vicky Trabosh (success coach), Brenda Fulle (Portland Art Institute), Thomas Lwebuga (Nike) and Jack Birnbach (Dress for Success).
Products and Services
Products and Services
Veroh's Army will produce:
•	Clothing (blouses, skirts, shoes, jackets, athletic gear, etc.) and accessories (scarves, hats, umbrellas, clutches, totes, etc.) for women and men
•	That is digitally printed with original art created by Veroh (see www.veroh.com for examples)
•	And art that is created by women in DV art therapy workshops led by Veroniccah and perhaps art therapy students / facilitators.
•	Of natural fabrics (bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, silk, rayon, bark cloth from Uganda, etc.) 
•	Printed and fabricated in the USA.
Veroh's Army will:
•	Contribute 100% of the net profits of the company to organizations that support women and children survivors of DV
•	Partner with organizations, corporations and celebrities to market our products and increase awareness about DV.
•	Initially sell locally, then expand to larger markets. Our goal is to sell internationally.
Competitors
We have done both online market research and visited a local wearable art gallery. Some wearable art brand names we have come across are Blue Fish, Gianello, Fenini, CMC Clock and Bella. None of these are similar to what Veroh plans to produce. The wearable art we have been able to find is created by combining unique fabrics in unique ways. Printed wearable art is made of fabric with an all-over print. None feature a single artist’s image that is the central focus of the item. The wearable art gallery we visited (Changes) insists that their items are made in the USA. They also cautioned us about pricing items too high (like items of original art) because their customers will not pay prices that high.

Technology
Veroh's Army will use technology to:
•	To photograph the images that Veroh initially creates on canvas (will need camera)
•	Store photographed images (PC or Mac)
•	To manipulate and refine the digital images to ready for printing (design software like GIMP)
•	Print images digitally on fabric and other materials (will probably outsource this initially)
•	Fabricate items (sewing machine and other manufacturing and factory-type equipment using templates, etc. - would prefer to outsource this eventually or even initially)
•	Manage, fulfill and ship orders
•	Manage financial data (QuickBooks)
•	Manage customer information (QuickBooks probably adequate)
•	Communicate with and promote our company and products to customers (e-newsletters, Facebook)
•	Sell products (our own website, etsy)
Target Market
Market Overview
The apparel industry has several major characteristics that are worth considering in a business plan. The industry is:
•	Highly dynamic and characterized by speed, complexity, blurring sales channels, constant change and short product life spans.
•	Highly competitive depending on timeliness of fashions, trendiness, breadth of merchandise, brand recognition, pricing, quality, and overall shopping experience.
•	Highly segmented (the three major segments of clothing, shoes and accessories each include dozens of smaller segments).
•	Projected to grow, especially in online and international sales.
•	Highly fragmented (i.e. there are not a few major players dominating the industry).
•	Constantly introducing new product lines.
•	Progressively outsourcing to foreign contractors to manufacture its products.
•	Seasonal.
•	Typically dependent on inventory.
•	Easy for new businesses to enter, offering few barriers to entry.
Key Customers
Market Needs
Veroh's Army expects its main customers (target market) to be:
•	Women and men who love unique, original high fashion clothing and accessories.
•	Women and men who want to purchase clothing made of natural fabrics.
•	Women and men who are motivated to contribute to charitable causes, especially DV prevention.
•	Corporations that are interested in contributing to DV awareness and prevention and advertising their commitment to the cause.
•	Female and male organizations, clubs, groups, etc. that are interested contributing to DV awareness and prevention.
•	Women and men who are committed to purchasing clothing and accessories made in the USA (not sure how large a group this is)
There is a high incidence of domestic violence (DV) in the United States. DV crosses all racial, age and socio-economic groups. Most cases of domestic abuse are never reported, so the following statistics are extremely conservative.
•	One in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.
•	Nearly 7.8 million women have been raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
•	Sexual assault or forced sex occurs in approximately 40-45% of battering relationships.
•	Witnessing violence between one’s parents or caretakers is the strongest risk factor of transmitting violent behavior from one generation to the next.
•	Boys who witness domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children when they become adults.
•	30% to 60% of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse children in the household.
•	Almost one third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner.
•	In 70-80% of intimate partner homicides, no matter which partner was killed, the man physically abused the woman before the murder.
•	Less than one fifth of victims reporting an injury from intimate partner violence sought medical treatment following the injury.
•	Intimate partner violence results in more than 18.5 million mental health care visits each year.
•	One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
•	An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.
•	85% of domestic violence victims are women.
•	Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew.
•	Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.
•	Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police.
Veroh's Army wants to increase awareness about the incidence of DV, therefore making it easier for victims to talk about. Veroh's Army wants to encourage women and children facing DV to report it, and be aware of and get assistance from DV resources in difficult and life threatening situations.
The statistics on DV above are from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence at http://www.ncadv.org/files/DomesticViolenceFactSheet%28National%29.pdf.
The statistics do not account for cases that occur, reported and unreported from other parts of the world, including African countries, India, South America, and many developing countries. 
Industry Analysis
Market Trends

	

Current statistics important to our business planning were found on several websites:
•	Number of fashion designer jobs held in 2013                        19,300
•	Median annual earnings for salaried fashion designers        $62,610
•	Number of people employed in the fashion industry            4,200,000
•	Amount spent on fashion in the US each year                         $250,000,000,000
The above statistics are from http://www.statisticbrain.com/fashion-industry-statistics/.
•	The world clothing and textile industry (clothing, textiles, footwear and luxury goods) reached almost $2,560 trillion in 2010.
•	The world womenswear industry is expected to pass $621 billion in 2014.
•	The world market for textiles made from organically grown cotton was worth over $5 billion in 2010.
•	In 2010, American households spent, on average, $1,700 on apparel, footwear, and related products and services.
•	Employment in the U.S. apparel manufacturing industry has declined by more than 80 percent (from about 900,000 to 150,000 jobs) over the past two decades. Yet, labor productivity in the U.S. manufacturing sector more than doubled from 1987 to 2010. Labor productivity also more than doubled over that period in U.S. textile mills and nearly doubled in footwear manufacturing.
The above statistics are from http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-fashion/25-shocking-fashion-industry-statistics.html.
The Yale School of Management published a market analysis for the US branded retail apparel industry for PEC Research in September of 2012 (seehttp://analystreports.som.yale.edu/reports/BrandedApparel2012.pdf) .Branded apparel is apparel in which a company's name or logo is highlighted and promoted such as Aeropostale Inc, Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, The Gap, American Eagle Outfitters, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.  This contains a long list of critical conclusions that will influence our business planning:
•	The report forecasts US sales for this mature industry to continue growing in line with GDP. International growth will remain significantly higher than domestic growth. The aggregate annual growth rate is estimated at 4.1% over the next 5 years.
•	The two main opportunities for future value creation in the industry are 1) an opportunity for increased operating margins due to a favorable sales mix shift toward online sales, and 2) the opportunity to expand in international, less mature markets.
•	The low level of differentiation between the individual firms in the industry and the fragmented nature of the industry results in a very competitive environment, which will make it difficult for the industry to outperform the overall market.
•	With fashion emerging as a means of self-expression, consumers are increasingly choosing apparel with brand images or logos over private labels. The US represents the world's largest branded apparel market, having an estimated share of 29.26%. Growth in emerging markets is very encouraging for the branded apparel industry.
•	The apparel industry in general and branded apparel is very much affected by a price-sensitive economy and declines when the dollar is weak. Retailers have a difficult time unloading inventory in these times if they haven't been foreseen.
•	Since the branded apparel is extremely fragmented, there are entry and growth opportunities even during periods of no or slow growth in the industry.
•	With international and online sales, branded apparel companies should benefit from higher gross margins in the long term.
•	Only 11% of branded apparel revenues (on average) are currently coming from online sales. There are far fewer fixed costs to these sales (rent, utilities, sales staff, etc.) yielding increased gross margins.
•	Over the past decade, the branded apparel industry has rapidly increased its revenue mix from international sales. Assuming penetration in foreign markets could reach current North American market share, branded apparel companies could see overall revenues growth in excess of 30-50%.
•	It is difficult to forecast new fashion trends. There is no assurance that merchandise will consistently resonated with customers.
•	In order to grow into new markets, the industry should expand into new underpenetrated markets for which it may not have the necessary region expertise in target demographics.
•	Any general slowdown in the economy could result in lower spending and could negatively affect a branded apparel company's business.
•	Competition is fierce, with little branch loyalty, low barriers to entry and foreign firms successfully penetrating the US market. Competition in the retail sector is fierce, with constant pricing pressure from competitors and a critical need to be fashion-right. Having strong brand recognition and popularity enables a retailer to price merchandise higher than other retailers who compete solely on price. Brand apparel companies in this position are able to "value price" their merchandise at a higher price point because they offer solid-quality, trend-right merchandise with a desirable brand name.
•	The brand apparel industry is expected to grow in line with the GDP. Individual companies might very well be able to achieve growth rates for certain periods of time that are well above GDP growth.
Veroh's Army does not intend to start out as a "brand apparel" line. We intend to start out featuring Veroh's original art on apparel and accessories. However, it is our goal to become a "brand apparel" line, i.e. a line that features its name and logo.
A Report by Manthan Systems on how to "Arrest Margin Erosion by Optimizing the Five Ps of Fashion Retailing" (see https://www.manthansystems.com/images/stories/en/Downloads/WhitePapers/Manthan-WP-Arrest-Margin-Erosion-in-Retail.pdf) gives advice on how to succeed financially:
•	Make more customer-centric assortment decisions and deliver a personalized shopping experience while maximizing operational effectiveness.
•	Develop capabilities to understand shopper needs and shopping patterns at the geographic and demographic levels to produce an assortment that is tailored to the specific market. This allows stock to clear faster at full price.
•	Become aware of market trends and sales data throughout the supply chain to facilitate meeting customer demands faster.
•	Become aware of and use fashion industry analytics in all five Ps of marketing: Product, Placement, People, Price and Promotion
Strategy and Implementation
UVP and Our Story
Veroh's Army Unique Value Proposition (UVP) or Unique Selling Proposition (USP) will be:
High-fashion wearable art made in the USA of natural fabrics to benefit survivors of domestic violence

Our stories:
Veroniccah:      My earliest memories of abuse are when I was probably 8 or 10 years old. My father, a somewhat quiet man, never really said much to us except when we had to do our chores, finish homework, or get a beating.  I believe I had the most beatings and I thought it was because I was the oldest.  I believed I was a bad child.  I was never good enough for my father and I was the cause of all trouble at home and for my mother.  Also, we never really talked about this at all. One day would come and then go and then we would wait for the next.  I think I got a beating almost daily, for no reason, and if anyone said anything then they shared the belt.
One unforgettable day was at the end of the school year when I didn’t do so well in class.  My father undressed me and left me in only my underwear, tied my hands and legs and hung me up on a wooden bar in our shop, then beat me until I was numb.  My mother was in the corner wailing and pleading to free me, but my father didn’t care.  When he was done, he left me up there, turned off the lights and ordered everyone to go to bed. I must have passed out because I don’t remember how or when I was let down. But when I woke, I was inside the little storage room lying on the floor with charcoal bags.  I hated my father and I believed he didn’t love me at all. Twice I tried to commit suicide, I hated to see my mother in so much pain and I thought if I were out of the way, maybe this would end.
Later I told myself that this is how every family is and that bad children got exactly what they deserved. Not that I was a bad child, I didn’t think I was a bad child but because I felt unloved by my father I concluded that I had to be a very bad child. Then I started to do everything in my life to perfection just so my father could love me a little and accept me, be proud of me.
Fast forward into my adult life, I was faced with a similar situation. I should have known better because the red flags went off almost immediately. But I was too involved to see them, or if I did I excused them. I am a fixer. I am the bad child after all. I gotta make things right and do what am supposed to do to stay out of trouble. My abuser controlled everything I did, my movements, who I talked to, where I went when and with whom, how long I was gone for and what I did. I felt his presence everywhere I was. He was a very charming, good-looking man, full of life and fun but behind that person was a monster that came out often. This man terrorized me mostly verbally, called me names, stupid and made me believe I was crazy. He verbally and emotionally shattered me. I had escaped from him a few times, only for him to show up where I was hiding, knocking at my bedroom door and telling me there was nothing I could do about it, and to not even think about calling the police. So in my mind, the police were not an option to run to for help. They were my enemy. He would then apologize to me and promise never to do it again, that he was wrong and that I made him act that way. Whenever I went to sleep at night I would wait until I was sure that he was completely silent then I would sleep too, I was afraid that he would hurt me in my sleep. One day while I was making the bed I found that he had a kitchen knife hidden under his pillow, this is when I knew I had to get out of there and fast. When I asked him why he had a knife under his pillow, he said it was for protection from burglars. We had never had any intruders into our home. I knew better of course. I knew he was planning for a perfect opportunity to slit my throat or stab me in my sleep.  I thought about my family and son, he was just a baby and to die and leave him alone was not an option.
The next day I looked up attorneys and found one that I consulted with. I just wanted to run away and go home to my family.  This attorney was the first to tell me about what I was facing and suggested some local organizations that I could speak with, to help me safely escape from the abuse.  That was the beginning of my journey to safety.
Getting away was the most difficult thing for me to do. Living with the abuse felt much easier than attempting to run away, I was very afraid, but with the support from amazing advocates and the organizations they work for, I escaped one year later after a two-day unfortunate turn of events. I had nothing, just the clothes on my back, and my laptop.  I called my girlfriend who picked me up where I had run to, she took me to her apartment and gave me an air mattress, a cup, a plate, a folk and spoon, a blanket and pillow. We didn’t speak much; I was crying the whole time and she cried with me. She offered me to stay the night but I just wanted to be alone. She then drove me to my empty apartment, we pumped air into the air mattress then I laid down. For the first time in years I slept so peacefully and it was the best sleep I ever had.
For the time I have worked with these wonderful women, my eyes have been opened to so many incidents that have happened throughout my life. Things that society unknowingly accepts as normal but are not right. Once in my high school I asked my friend how she gets so close to her dad and she said that her dad loves her and they are very close. I thought to myself, this is the strangest thing. I have never even sat at the same table with my father! Strange! Many women my age, very smart, have great careers but are in abusive situations from their intimate partners. I will say it again, it is wrong and I want to be a part of a revolution that changes things around. DV knows no age, sex, race, or social status. Many of us never live to tell our story. For example, David Kikaawa a young Ugandan man that grew up in the same neighborhood as me, stabbed his girlfriend and mother of his child to death last year in the UK.  Some of us who knew him still are in shock that he committed this crime. But the truth is one can never tell just by looking at an abuser that they are vicious behind closed doors. They are your best buddies, the most charming people and everybody's friend. I feel very fortunate to be a survivor and I choose to share my story and use my talent to support organizations that dedicate their time to advocate for survivors.
Jane: When I hear other women's stories about their abuse, I feel lucky. I was physically abused in my first marriage, but only in a minor way. I was punched in the face a few times, and couldn't go to work because of bruises on my cheek or a swollen lip. We did not have a child, so that made it easier. But the pain from the verbal and emotional abuse cut like a knife.
My husband knew about my relationship with my mother. He knew my "soft spots." He knew the words that would hurt me the most. I had shared with him how my mother had wounded me, and he took advantage of that. He cheated on me, then denied it. He was a taker and a user and a manipulator... He would tell me, "Go ahead and leave. You won't find anyone else. No one else will want you. No one else could ever love you." This is what my mother used to say, "No one will ever love you. No one could ever love you." I married at age 21, I believe, to prove to my mother that she was wrong. My first husband left me for another woman after six years. I'm not sure I ever would have had the self-confidence to leave. It took me 20 years of counseling to realize my mother was mentally ill, my husband was abusive, and that I am lovable - just for who I am, not only for what I can do for someone.
I want to help other women develop the self-confidence and courage to escape abuse early on. Our life and time is too precious to spend with a partner who is not respectful and kind. 
Our story: Veroniccah and Jane met in the fall of 2012 at a nonprofit event. We felt an immediate connection on many levels. We discovered that we are both survivors of domestic abuse.  We have both been change agents in our communities, and we are both passionate and experienced in working with minorities and the disadvantaged.
We started talking about how we could serve women and children survivors of DV.  We realized that if we directly served this vulnerable population, we would only be able to help a small number of them. To have a large impact, we would need to do something highly visible; that would be "sexy," or trendy or fashionable; and that would involve already well-known individuals and corporations.
We began discussing how everyone recognizes the pink ribbon. Anyone and everyone feels comfortable today talking about breast cancer awareness and prevention. Even male pro football teams wear pink shoes or helmets to demonstrate their commitment to the cause.
This is how our business idea started - to create a company that would use Veroniccah's art and art from other survivors of DV to produce apparel and accessories to benefit women and children survivors of DV. By making the brand highly visible, we hope to increase DV awareness and prevention, make it easier and more acceptable to talk about. This will hopefully increase reporting by victims, and let victims know they are not alone but are supported by hundreds of individuals and resources.

                                                "Self-Reflection", Acrylic on canvas, 24"x30"
Competitive Edge
There are several factors that will give Veroh's Army the competitive advantage over other branded apparel and wearable art companies:
•	Veroh’s unique art and vision
•	Our passion and personal history with DV (our stories)
•	We contribute to organizations that support women and children survivors of DV
•	We use natural fabrics (silk, organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, rayon, bark cloth made in Uganda, etc.) 
•	We print and fabricate apparel and accessories in the US
•	We involve, engage and support others in the process (other survivors of domestic abuse, college students in design and art therapy, etc.)
•	We partner with organizations, corporations, groups and celebrities that also have an interest in DV awareness and prevention to increase our ability to market our products
•	Veroh's Army will build the business on a sustainable foundation (i.e. use natural fabrics, use green materials and supplies, use sustainable practices in all areas of the business) and will use this in promoting the company and its products.
•	We will start out as a benefits corporation, with the goal of becoming a Certified B Corp
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
We feel Veroh's Army has many strengths:
•	Both Veroniccah and Jane are committed to and will create a detailed careful short- and long-term PLAN to assure controlled growth and financial success.
•	Veroniccah’s artistic ability & experience.
•	Jane’s business experience, especially in new business development and project planning.
•	Veroh's Army will contribute to organizations that support women and children survivors of DV
•	Veroh's Army will produce garments and accessories made of natural fabrics (silk, organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, rayon, bark cloth from Uganda, etc.)
•	Printing and fabricating of items will use USA companies
•	We will consult with experts extensively in areas where we have little or no experience (i.e. textile printing, clothing manufacture).
•	Our personal history with and passion for DV prevention (our stories).
•	We will involve, engage and support other survivors of DV in the process.
•	We will partner with organizations, corporations, groups and celebrities that also have an interest in DV awareness and prevention to enhance our marketing capabilities.
•	Both of us are intelligent, creative, hard-working, determined and willing to do whatever it takes to make Veroh's Army successful!
•	We will plan for sustainability in all we do (use of fabric, purchase of supplies, business practices, financial planning, etc.) and will use this in promoting the company and its products
Weaknesses
As a new company, in an industry neither one of us has worked in before, Veroh's Army does have several weaknesses:
•	Neither Veroniccah nor Jane have ever worked in the fashion or apparel industry.
•	We are struggling to analyze the many options for purchasing fabric, designing items, fabrication, printing, etc.
•	Although we think we have a good idea about how to partner with DV-related organizations (or those that potentially could be), we don't know how to analyze whether we should attempt to place our merchandise in stores our how to do this.
•	We don't have any experience with inventory control, shipping management, etc. for online sales. We would prefer someone else was handling this (i.e. the printer). If we had to do it for more than just a small volume, we would need to develop systems so it wasn't a manual task.
Opportunities
Although there are companies that:
•	Feature fine art prints (but fabric is printed with all-over design)
•	Contribute a portion of their profit to one or more charitable organizations
•	Use natural fabrics
•	Are made in the USA
there are not any companies that include all of these features plus:
•	Use art created by a population that it benefits
•	Directly serve a population by conducting art therapy workshops to help  victims cope with their experience
The two largest opportunities, based on our market analysis, are in the areas of online sales and international markets.
Because there are many  local nonprofits (Bradley Angle House, Dress for Success, etc.), national organizations, and celebrities (Dr. Phil and his wife Robin) who are dedicated to increasing awareness about and eliminating DV, Veroh's Army believes there is a great opportunity to partner with them to increase our visibility and enhance our marketing capabilities. We also believe that large corporations (for example, airlines) and groups (NASCAR, boxing and wrestling) might be willing to purchase Veroh merchandise and ask their employees and/or participants to wear it as a statement against DV.
Threats
The major threats to Veroh's Army are:
•	There are currently two symbols that represent the DV cause. Just like the pink ribbon represents breast cancer awareness, the purple ribbon stands for DV awareness and prevention.  "NO MORE" is a new unifying symbol designed to galvanize greater awareness and action to end domestic violence and sexual assault. NO MORE does sell a few clothing and accessory items like t-shirts, iPhone cases, bumper stickers, etc. However, neither of these symbols (the purple ribbon or NO MORE) are currently well known or associated with the DV cause.
•	For the most part, other branded apparel companies (and other apparel companies in general) are using foreign companies to print and fabricate their goods. This lowers their costs, and gives them the ability to offer consumers a lower purchase price.
•	If Veroh's Army only uses African themed prints without adding a wider variety of designs, this may limit the appeal to a larger group of consumers.
•	There is always the possibility that the designs of Veroh's Army will not appeal to our intended customers. It will benefit us to test designs using social media to make certain that the designs (apparel, accessories and art) appeal to our potential customers before we invest in fabric, fabrication and printing. The ideal situation is to have a printer that would print items on-demand and also ship them. (We have located a printer of this type on the east coast. See www.spoonflower.com. Www.cafepress.com also prints one item on-demand and does drop shipping. However the items cafepress prints on are not the high quality, high fashion items that we intend to sell.)
Marketing Plan
Overview
Veroh's Army will rely on three basic strategies to market its wearable art and accessories:
•	Partnering with nonprofits, celebrities, corporations, and groups that have an interest in DV awareness and prevention to increase the visibility of our company and its products.
•	Social media promotion and Internet sales.
•	Events, specifically introduction of our spring and fall fashion lines, plus DV-related events like women's fairs.
Veroh's Army will approach nonprofits (first local, then national) that support women and children survivors of DV. These are the organizations that Veroh's Army will donate to. We will work with each of these nonprofits to create a plan for them to promote and help increase the visibility of Veroh's Army and our products.
We will also ask celebrities that have a known or potential interest in DV awareness and prevention (for example, Dr. Phil and Robin) if they would be willing to promote Veroh's Army and our products. We will ask other TV, news, media personalities and musicians (Ellen, Kathy Lee & Hoda, Kelley & Michael, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alicia Keys, Pink, etc.) about their interest in helping us promote our products as a way to support DV awareness and prevention.
We plan to ask corporations that have a known interest in DV awareness and prevention to help promote Veroh's Army and our products. We will develop this list by researching corporate sponsors of DV-related nonprofits. We will approach other large corporations and ask them to promote and/or purchase Veroh's Army apparel for their employees to wear to demonstrate their interest in and commitment to DV awareness and prevention. Some of our ideas include airlines, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, etc.
Groups that might be interested in showing support of DV awareness and prevention by wearing a Veroh's Army accessory item are sports teams (men's and women's professional football, basketball, soccer, hockey, etc.), boxers and wrestlers, Nascar drivers, Rotary and Lions Club members, etc.
We plan to use social media to promote the company and its products on Facebook and Youtube. We will sell items on our own website and through etsy.
One question we are unclear about at the present time, and would like some advice on, is how much effort we should put into getting into retail stores.
Positioning
Veroh's Army: High fashion wearable art & accessories made in the USA of natural fabrics to benefit survivors of domestic violence
Pricing
Our products will probably initially be HANDMADE wearable art clothing and accessories. They will be original art - a few will be hand painted, although most will be printed. We will research prices of similar wearable art items on sites like etsy, which is a site for handmade art. We know that hand painted scarves sell for $42-$600 and printed scarves sell for $28.50-$500. We intend to sell our products at around the 25th percentile of what others are selling for, so we would price a printed scarf at around $132.50. We would like our sales price to be 2-3 times the cost of production.
Promotion
We will use three main methods to make our company and its products visible to our target market:
•	Partnerships
•	Social media
•	Events
As mentioned previous, we will approach nonprofits who might benefit from the contributions of Veroh's Army to promote our company and products. We will also seek partnerships with celebrities, corporations and other groups who want to demonstrate a commitment to DV awareness and prevention. These individuals or groups may be willing to buy items and/or promote our company and its products.
We hope several TV, radio, newspaper and magazines will be interested in doing public relations spots on the company because we are committed to:
•	Donating to organizations that support women and children survivors of DV
•	Conducting art therapy workshops for women survivors of DV
•	Using natural fabrics
•	Making our apparel and accessories in the USA
•	Building a business on a sustainable foundation, using green materials, supplies, and business practices
We will use social media (Facebook, Youtube) to promote Veroh's Army and our products. We will sell our products on our own website and on other appropriate sites like etsy.
Veroh's Army will also hold events, specifically around introduction of its spring and fall fashion lines, to increase visibility and also sell products.
Distribution
This is an area we're struggling with. We would prefer to have items printed on-demand one-at-a-time when ordered and drop shipped by a contractor. We would prefer not to hold an inventory. We don't know if this will be possible.
We know our Internet sales will involve direct sales to our customers. This will initially be the largest distribution channel.
We don't know if we should work toward getting our apparel and accessories placed in retail stores. If we do, we're not sure when we should do this, and what percentage of our business this should be.
Veroniccah would also like to sell items at events, specifically introduction of spring and fall fashion lines.

Financial Plan
Revenue Forecast
Revenue Forecast
	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
Total Revenue	$0	$0	$0	
Total Direct Cost	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin %	0%	0%	0%	

About the Revenue Forecast
Personnel Plan
Personnel Table
	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
New Employee	$0	$0	$0	
Total	$0	$0	$0	

About the Personnel Plan
Budget
Budget Table
	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
Operating Expenses				
Salary	$0	$0	$0	
Employee Related Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
Marketing & Promotions	$0	$0	$0	
Rent	$0	$0	$0	
Utilities	$0	$0	$0	
Office Supplies	$0	$0	$0	
Insurance	$0	$0	$0	
Total Operating Expenses	$0	$0	$0	

About the Budget
Startup Costs
Profit & Loss Statement
Profit and Loss Statement
	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
Revenue	$0	$0	$0	
				
Direct Cost	$0	$0	$0	
				
Gross Margin	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin %	0%	0%	0%	
Operating Expenses				
Salary	$0	$0	$0	
Employee Related Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
Marketing & Promotions	$0	$0	$0	
Rent	$0	$0	$0	
Utilities	$0	$0	$0	
Office Supplies	$0	$0	$0	
Insurance	$0	$0	$0	
Total Operating Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
				
Operating Income	$0	$0	$0	
				
Income Taxes	$0	$0	$0	
Total Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
Net Profit	$0	$0	$0	
Net Profit / Sales	0%	0%	0%	

About the Profit and Loss Statement

Appendix
Revenue Forecast
Revenue Forecast Table (With Monthly Detail)
Year 1	Y1 M1	Y1 M2	Y1 M3	Y1 M4	Y1 M5	Y1 M6	Y1 M7	Y1 M8	Y1 M9	Y1 M10	Y1 M11	Y1 M12	
Total Revenue	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Total Direct Cost	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin %	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
Total Revenue	$0	$0	$0	
Total Direct Cost	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin %	0%	0%	0%	

Personnel Plan
Personnel Table (With Monthly Detail)
Year 1	Y1 M1	Y1 M2	Y1 M3	Y1 M4	Y1 M5	Y1 M6	Y1 M7	Y1 M8	Y1 M9	Y1 M10	Y1 M11	Y1 M12	
New Employee	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Total	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
New Employee	$0	$0	$0	
Total	$0	$0	$0	

Budget
Budget Table (With Monthly Detail)
Year 1	Y1 M1	Y1 M2	Y1 M3	Y1 M4	Y1 M5	Y1 M6	Y1 M7	Y1 M8	Y1 M9	Y1 M10	Y1 M11	Y1 M12	
Operating Expenses													
Salary	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Employee Related Expenses	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Marketing & Promotions	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Rent	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Utilities	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Office Supplies	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Insurance	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Total Operating Expenses	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
Operating Expenses				
Salary	$0	$0	$0	
Employee Related Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
Marketing & Promotions	$0	$0	$0	
Rent	$0	$0	$0	
Utilities	$0	$0	$0	
Office Supplies	$0	$0	$0	
Insurance	$0	$0	$0	
Total Operating Expenses	$0	$0	$0	

Profit and Loss Statement
Profit and Loss Statement (With Monthly Detail)
Year 1	Y1 M1	Y1 M2	Y1 M3	Y1 M4	Y1 M5	Y1 M6	Y1 M7	Y1 M8	Y1 M9	Y1 M10	Y1 M11	Y1 M12	
Revenue	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
													
Direct Cost	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
													
Gross Margin	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin %	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	
Operating Expenses													
Salary	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Employee Related Expenses	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Marketing & Promotions	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Rent	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Utilities	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Office Supplies	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Insurance	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Total Operating Expenses	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
													
Operating Income	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
													
Income Taxes	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Total Expenses	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Net Profit	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	
Net Profit / Sales	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	

	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	
Revenue	$0	$0	$0	
				
Direct Cost	$0	$0	$0	
				
Gross Margin	$0	$0	$0	
Gross Margin %	0%	0%	0%	
Operating Expenses				
Salary	$0	$0	$0	
Employee Related Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
Marketing & Promotions	$0	$0	$0	
Rent	$0	$0	$0	
Utilities	$0	$0	$0	
Office Supplies	$0	$0	$0	
Insurance	$0	$0	$0	
Total Operating Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
				
Operating Income	$0	$0	$0	
				
Income Taxes	$0	$0	$0	
Total Expenses	$0	$0	$0	
Net Profit	$0	$0	$0	
Net Profit / Sales	0%	0%	0%