Question 130 marks
Question
Hot Bubblez (HB) Karen is a sole trader who operates a service business called Hot Bubblez (HB) from her own home. It is a laundry service in town P. Each day Karen spends the morning collecting laundry from customers’ homes. Karen then washes, dries and irons the laundry and then delivers it back to customers’ homes in the evening. She owns two washing machines, two drying machines and one iron. Each batch of washing takes approximately two hours to 5 wash, dry and iron. Karen has completed some market research about which method of laundry households use in town P (see Fig. 1.1). There are 60 000 households in town P. Use a laundry service 20% Go to a laundry shop Do laundry (launderette) at home 15% 65% Fig. 1.1: The percentage of households using each laundry method in town P Karen has 300 households that use HB’s laundry service. Karen would like to employ 10 someone to do the collections and deliveries. Karen has always relied upon customer recommendations to promote HB. However, she has not been able to gain any new customers and she thinks it is time for new promotion methods to be used. She would like to target the hotel laundry market. Table 1.1 shows some data about the local hotel market. 15 Table 1.1: Data about the local hotel market Number of hotels in town P 14 Number of hotels outside town P but within 30 miles of HB 45 Proportion of hotels which have their own laundry service 50% (a) (i) Define the term ‘service’ (line 1). [2] (ii) Explain the term ‘sole trader’ (line 1). [3] (b) (i) Refer to Fig. 1.1 and any other relevant information. Calculate HB’s share of the laundry service market. [4] (ii) Analyse two factors which could affect the scale of HB. [8] (c) Explain one appropriate method of recruitment for Karen to find a new employee to do collections and deliveries. [2] (d) Evaluate appropriate promotion methods for HB to target the hotel laundry market. [11]
Mark scheme
1(a)(i) Define the term ‘service’ (line 1). 2 Knowledge Marks A correct definition 2 A partial, vague or unfocused definition 1 No creditable content 0 Content An intangible product/process (1) which is offered to / paid for by customers (1). An action (1) sold by business (1). A correct definition will include the following points: • something sold by a business / bought by a customer / to satisfy needs or wants • an idea of intangibility. Exemplar Marks Rationale Something a customer buys which 2 Both elements cannot be touched. covered A process sold by a business. 2 Both elements covered An intangible product. 1 One element Something sold by a business. 1 One element A tertiary business 0 Not a definition of a service. 1(a)(ii) Explain the term ‘sole trader’ (line 1). 3 Award one mark for each point of explanation: B One mark for each of the following (up to a maximum of 1–2 two marks): marks • unlimited liability • shared legal identity with business • no continuity • no requirement to produce or make available accounts • no shares/shareholders • unincorporated • likely to be a small business • the owner keeps all the profits or bears the losses • has all the risk • has full control • makes all decisions themselves • example of a sole trader. A One individual or one person (must be a clear idea of a 1 mark single person) Exemplar Rationale Marks A sole trader is owned by one All three elements 3 person (A) who has unlimited liability (B) and does not need to publish financial accounts (B). Owned and controlled by one All three elements 3 person who bears the risk. A sole trader is owned by a A and B 2 single person (A) and does not have shareholders (B) A one person business (A) One mark only 1 A business where there is B only, which cannot be 0 unlimited liability (B), no need to awarded without the A mark. produce financial accounts, no continuity and no shareholders. Owned business. Tautology 0 ARA 1(b)(i) Refer to Fig 1.1 and any other relevant information. Calculate HB’s 4 share of the laundry service market. Rationale Marks Correct answer with or without correct working or units. 4 Attempt using some of the correct figures. 3 Formula* and identification of correct numbers 2 (i.e. 20% of 60 000). Formula* or identification of correct numbers 1 (i.e. 20% of 60 000). No creditable content. 0 Content Current share of the market Formula − × 100 Total market size Total market = 60 000 households Percentage who use a laundry service = 20% 20% of 60 000 = 12 000 households 300 households × 100 = 2.5% 12000 households Answer = 2.5% (allow 2.5) OFR 1(b)(ii) Analyse two factors which could affect the scale of HB. 8 Level Knowledge and Marks Marks Analysis (4 Application (4 marks) marks) 2b Shows 4 Good analysis of 4 understanding of two factors two factors which could DEV + DEV APP + APP which could affect the scale affect the scale of a business in of a business in context context 2a Shows 3 Good analysis of 3 understanding of one factor which one factor which could affect the could affect the scale of a scale of a business in business in context DEV APP context 1b Shows 2 Limited analysis 2 knowledge of of two factors two factors which could AN + AN which could affect the scale affect the scale of a business K+K of a business 1a Shows 1 Limited analysis 1 knowledge of of one factor one factor which which could could affect the affect the scale scale of a of a business AN business K 0 No creditable content Content Factors affecting scale are about the ability of a business to supply products, not the demand of the market. These factors are likely to involve: • Capital – the quantity and quality of the capital items in a business, such as machinery – this can include human capital. • Labour – the quantity and quality of the workforce. • Enterprise – the ability and willingness of an entrepreneur to take risks, find business opportunities. • Land – the quantity and quality of natural resources available to the business 1(b)(ii) Context may include: • Karen is a sole trader – limited availability of finance to purchase washing machines, irons etc. • Machinery – Karen only owns two washing machines, two dryers and one iron • The use of washing machine / dryer / iron – affects the batch size of washing • The use of batch production • The time HB takes to do a load of washing (two hours) • The transport used by Karen (van) and the amount of laundry she can carry • Karen as an entrepreneur • The new worker Analysis may include: • The impact this factor may have on the scale of HB • The factor may (or have the potential to) increase HB’s scale • The factor may (or have the potential to) decrease HB’s scale Development of this affect may be on HB’s revenue, costs and/or profit or another likely objective of HB, such as expansion or the industrial market. 1(c) Explain one appropriate method of recruitment for Karen to find a new 2 employee to do collections and deliveries. Level Knowledge and Application Marks 2 (APP) Explanation of an appropriate method of 2 recruitment in context 1 (K) Identification of a method of recruitment 1 0 No creditable content 0 Methods may include: • Internal recruitment (unlikely to be contextual) • External recruitment • Job advertisements • Job centre • Local online job websites • Recruitment agencies • Personal recommendations • Social media • Direct recruitment Context may include: • Requires travel around local area/town. • HB operates from Karen’s home. • Laundry market. • No other workers currently in business. • No specialist qualifications required (maybe driving licence). • Knowledge of local area • HB is a small business (sole trader). ARA 1(d) Evaluate appropriate promotion methods for HB to target the hotel 11 laundry market. Annotation Annotation Knowledge and Analysis and Application (4 Marks Evaluation Marks marks) (7 marks) Justified evaluation EVAL + EVAL + based on EVAL 7 arguments in context Developed EVAL + evaluation based EVAL 6 on arguments in context An evaluative statement based EVAL 5 on arguments in context Shows DEV + DEV APP + APP Arguments based understanding of 4 on two promotion 4 two promotion methods in context methods in context Shows Argument based understanding of DEV APP 3 on one promotion 3 one promotion method in context method in context Limited analysis of AN + AN Knowledge of two K+K 2 two promotion 2 promotion methods methods Shows knowledge Limited analysis of AN of one promotion 1 one promotion 1 K method method No creditable content 0 Content Knowledge may include: • Above the line; advertising (TV, radio, newspaper, etc.) • Below the line; direct promotion, website, leaflets, etc. • Through the line; social media, viral promotion, etc. • Informational and persuasive methods 1(d) Context may include: • Lack of finance, due to being a sole trader • Small business • Hotel/industrial market (B2B) • Data from Table 1.1 - 14 hotels in town P - 45 hotels within 30 mile of HB - 50 per cent of hotels have own laundry service (7 hotels in town P, 22/23 within 30 miles, 29/30 hotels in total) Analysis may include: • Local advertising – appropriate to target the hotel industry – e.g. hotel trade publications, possibly local radio, billboards. • Sponsorship – unlikely to be targeted enough to the hotel market. • Public relations – could be targeted towards the hotel market if the articles/reports are in hotel related publications/programmes. • Personal selling – a sensible approach that has limited cost (for a small business such as HB) and could be done by Karen visiting local hotels to sell her service. Could also be done by a salesperson hired by Karen, possibly on commission only payment. • Direct marketing – again a sensible solution that keeps it under Karen’s control. Can be done with a limited budget and Karen can target the hotels in the local area. • Sales promotion – unlikely to help HB enter the new market alone, but in combination with other informative methods may be a sensible approach to allow Karen to penetrate this new market. • Promotional price – do not reward use of price, but promotional pricing such as BOGOF, discounts sales promotions are rewardable. Evaluation may include: • A judgement over the most appropriate promotion method for HB • Evaluation of the appropriateness of different promotion methods for HB • What the choice of promotion method may depend upon ARA 1(d) Examples of how an answer could develop and how it should be annotated. K APP AN DEV EVAL Personal Karen could This should This might Personal selling (K) visit each allow Karen make the selling is hotel which to explain all hotels more likely to be a does not the willing to better have its own advantages use HB’s promotion laundry of her service. method than service. service and (DEV) direct mail. (APP) answer the (EVAL) managers questions. This is (AN) because Karen can Direct Karen could A relatively But it may explain the marketing send details low cost be seen as USP of HB (K) of her method junk mail and try to service to because and ignored convince the the 14 there are by the hotel to use hotels in only 14 hotels, so her service. town P. hotels. (AN) HB will not (EVAL) (APP) gain any new However, it customers. depends on (DEV) whether Karen is a good salesperson. If she is not good at selling her service, then it could be a waste of time and money. (EVAL)