GRO, Inc.
66 Witherspoon Street, Suite 337
Princeton, NJ 08540
Ph: (609) 497-1737
Fax: (609) 924-0582Joseph Faber, President
Emily Nelson, Editor and Publisher
John Doe, Marketing Director
Product Line or Service GROs first product is a system to
guide and monitor students independent reading, a tool that teachers can use a
modern-day alternative to the time-honored book report or as a prerequisite to the writing
of one. Example: A student reads a book. He sits down in front of a computer to take a
multiple choice test weve developed for that title. The test is automatically
scored, and the result is stored in the students record for the teacher to review at
any time. All interactionstaking tests or reviewing recordsare seamlessly
conducted through a simple, intuitive, web-based interface.
Technology/Proprietary Rights Software and content will be
protected by copyright.
Market Opportunities GRO (Guided Reading Online) is an
Internet-services company, providing education content and software to public and private
elementary and secondary schools, and homeschools. Conceived in 1996 and currently at seed
stage. GRO was formed as an Internet operation to support and monitor childrens
independent reading.
The latest U.S. figures indicate that more than 70 percent of elementary schools and
almost 80 percent of secondary school have access to the Internet. But despite these
percentages, the Internets value as an educational resource has yet to be realized.
There are few mass-market products that make the Internet necessary in the classroom. GRO
intends to change this by developing a series of servicesthrough proprietary content
and softwarefor students at every grade level.
Marketing/Sales and Distribution GROs primary market
consists of the 30 million American children in more than 80,000 elementary and middle
schools (73% of which have Internet access) and the 500,000 homeschoolers in grades 2-8
nationwide.
Competition No other company produces and Internet-based
reading management program, but three firms for market reading monitoring software on
disks:
-- Advantage Learning Systems (30,000
customer schools)
-- Electronic Bookshelf (12,000 customer
schools)
-- Bookshop (500 customer schools)
Manufacturing N/A
Financial A major segment of our marketing will rely upon conventional
educational channels: trade shows, print ads, and direct mail. However, GRO will also
advertise in appropriate locations on the Internet and employ direct sales
methodssend a sales force into those geographic areas we identify as most promising
for the company.
Product sales for the last 12 months: None |