Business Plan 2 0 for Devotional Chef Enterprises

Business Plan
For
The Devotional Chef
Confidential Document
Version 2.0

Devotional Chef Enterprises
4925 Houston Drive
Baton Rouge LA 70809-2031
revlacy@thedevotionalchef.com
225-293-1998 Office

Executive Summary
The Devotional Chef brand was created by Rev. Robert
Officers
Lacy in 2001. Its first product is the Devotional Chef’s
Rev. Robert Lacy Cookbook. This cookbook sold 2000 copies in 2006,
President/CEO
mostly over the Internet and with little promotion.
Dr. Ron Graham
VP Business Development
The success of the Cookbook has led
Paula K. Lacy
Rev. Lacy to develop new seasonings
Comptroller/CFO
Ingrid Stewart and sauces to complement his work
VP Logistics/Fulfillment
in the kitchen, and these items are
nearing a spot on store shelves; he
Members of Board of
also has ideas for specialty
Directors currently being
sought. cookbooks and related items. He has
potentially patentable cookware ideas
Financing Sought for which patent searches and
prototype development are underway.
$398K

In this first round of financing, the Devotional Chef is
Expected Sales
seeking investors willing to combine for $398K. This
$10.5M/year by 2013 with influx of capital will enable the following:
cookware;
$3.5M/year by 2013 without
cookware, based on Cookbook
Republish the Cookbook
•
and seasonings alone;
Create a Devotional Chef television pilot
•
Television should put sales
somewhere between.
Secure IP rights for all new patents and trademarks
•
Prototype the new cookware ideas
•
Multiple exit strategies for
investors possible. ROI of up
Place a selection of seasonings and sauces in
•
to 800% expected by 2013.
regional stores, starting with Whole Foods Market in
the southwest USA region
Current Assets
Package the Devotional Chef as a celebrity brand
•
• Existing Cookbook
Fill staff and board openings
•
• Plans for more cookbooks and
celebrity items
• Expected purchase order for
Early-stage marketing – until the Devotional Chef enters
seasonings from Whole Foods
a growth stage – will center on
Market
• Letter of interest for $100K in
funding from National Angel
The Devotional Chef Web site
•
Investor Lender Forum
• Continued interest from LeSEA
A book tour for the Cookbook
•
Television Network
Television appearances for Rev. Lacy
• IP rights being sought for new •
cookware
A series of Devotional Chef cooking tips on YouTube
•
• Contacts throughout southeast
Other inexpensive techniques listed in this Plan
USA, especially in evangelical •
Christian circles

We expect the Cookbook and seasonings to begin to
Bank
generate a profit before the end of 2009; investors will
begin to recoup several times their original investment
Capital One
Baton Rouge, LA by the second quarter of 2013.
Devotional Chef Enterprises www.thedevotionalchef.com 2/13
4925 Houston Drive revlacy@thedevotionalchef.com 1/8/2009
Baton Rouge LA 70809-2031 225-293-1998 Office Confidential
Version 2.0

Mission Statement

The Devotional Chef brand celebrates the fact that Christian fellowship and food
go hand-in-hand, and provides products and services for home cooks that
demonstrate this relationship to society. This is captured in our slogan, “The
Home of God and Good Food!”

Goals of this Business Plan

The goals of this business plan are as follows:

Immediate ($8K)
• Produce a Devotional Chef pilot suitable for television airplay and
distribution.
• Place a selection of spices in Whole Foods Market in Baton Rouge, LA,
then continue throughout the chain in the southwest US
• Identify and gather sources of revenue and consulting skills to further the
brand.

Early 2009 ($120K)
• Secure sufficient marketing and promotional expertise to develop a
celebrity business model similar to – if on a smaller scale – that of Martha
Stewart.
• Enable nationwide public appearances for the Devotional Chef.
• Secure intellectual property rights for new inventions, trademarks, and
copyrights.

Mid- to Late 2009 ($270K)
• Publish and distribute at least 20000 updated copies of the Devotional
Chef’s Cookbook right away and a total of 100000 by mid-2010.
• Make the brand nationally-known and profitable.
• Extend financial perks to first equity partners.

Total investment sought for 2008 and 2009: $398K

Brief History

The Devotional Chef brand was created by Rev. Robert Lacy
on 01/10/2001 as the official for-profit entity of White Dove
Ministries, a 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Federally Tax Exempt
outreach Ministry, itself formed 10/16/1996.

Its first product is the Devotional Chef’s Cookbook, shown
here. The Cookbook contains devotional writings from some
of the best-loved evangelical Christian figures in the USA, as
well as some of their favorite recipes. Several recipes have

Version 2.0

also been contributed by Rev. Lacy and others who have helped in the
preparation of the book.

The book’s first printing, from White Dove Press LLC, has sold 2000 copies since
2006 essentially over the Internet alone, and with little active promotion; it has
just been picked up by Morgan James Publishing, Garden City, NY, with the
intent of having its audience extended nationally. Among its several hundred
recipes are the following examples of chicken dishes:

Cajun Fried Chicken 113
•
Chicken Casserole 217
•
Chicken Quick Oyster Gumbo 33
•
DeDe's Chicken Salad 63
•
Easy Chicken & Dumplings 147
•
Jambalaya 227
•
Oriental Chicken Rolls 132
•
Quick Trash Can Pizza 201
•
Southwestern Chicken 143
•

According to the CBA, the trade association for Christian retail sales
(www.cbaonline.org), $4.63 billion was spent in 2006 by Christians on books and
music and related items in Christian stores. This suggests that there is a healthy
ongoing market for useful books for Christian buyers. The Devotional Chef’s
Cookbook will find an audience waiting, nationwide, based on its sales to date.

News Release

Ghost writers Rusty Fischer and Raoul Davis have been retained to submit the Devotional Chef’s
Cookbook to print publishers. Though the stagnant US economy has caused many publishing
houses to turn authors away or push their projects back, the Cookbook is a proven product, as
Devotional Chef Enterprises has already sold several thousand copies with almost no budget.

The retail food business in the USA takes in over 20 billion dollars annually. This
suggests that well-prepared good food will find a market waiting. The Devotional
Chef plans to enter this market, initially with seasonings, then with sauces and
salad dressings. A limited run of seasonings was developed in December 2008
for sampling and marketing purposes, based on interest expressed by the Whole
Foods Market of Baton Rouge, LA:

News Release
Rev. Lacy has been approved as a vendor for the Whole Foods Market in Baton Rouge, LA, as of
December 2008. This location is currently making room for Devotional Chef Seasonings, with a
launch anticipated in the late January to early February, 2009 time frame. The launch of
Devotional Chef Seasonings, bottled by Vanns Spices of Baltimore, MD, will be accompanied by
Rev. Lacy cooking in person at the Market, and Devotional Chef branded merchandise will be
available for sale.

Version 2.0

According to allbusiness.com, American consumers spend in excess of 7.4% of
their income annually on house wares, in a $301 billion market. Again, there is a
healthy market, and the Devotional Chef plans to enter here as well.

To raise money is essential: White Dove Press LLC, which is affiliated with the
Devotional Chef, has minimal tangible assets. The entire value of the Devotional
Chef is at this point based on the existing Cookbook and intellectual property for
proposed future cookbooks, recipes, inventions and retail items.

News Release

Devotional Chef Enterprises has received a Letter of Interest from the National Angel Investor
Lender Forum of Cincinnati, indicating an investment of up to $100K if Devotional Chef
Enterprises is able to raise the remainder of its funding needs from other sources. This is a copy
of part of that letter:

Expansion Plans

Recognizing the popularity of cookbooks in American society, and the buying
power of the Christian market, the Devotional Chef intends to expand its
business in the following ways:

I. Develop a product line based on the Devotional Chef brand, listed as
follows roughly in order of priority:

(a) Republish the Devotional Chef’s Cookbook (currently available on CD-
ROM and hardcopy)
Version 2.0

(b) Publish the Devotional Chef’s Country Club Cookbook (under
development)
(c) Publish the Devotional Chef’s Children’s Cookbook (under
development)
(d) Market the Devotional Chefs All Purpose Seasonings and Rubs (4
flavors, 4oz each, currently available)
(e) Market a line of meat, vegetable, seafood, and herb salts
(f) Market a line of American Comfort and Cajun Fusion ready-made and
frozen food items
(g) Create and syndicate the Devotional Chef Cooking Show (then make it
available on DVD)
(h) Market a line of Devotional Chef Bistro Ware (cooking set, under
development)
(i) Market a line of Devotional Chef Designer Hostess Sets (napkins,
plates, and eating utensils, under development)
(j) Market a line of Devotional Chef Wear (aprons, etc., under
development)
(k) Market a line of Devotions Perfumes and colognes (under
development)
(l) Market a line of Devotions Designer Logo Jewelry (under
development)

II. Secure a relationship for television production and distribution.

Preliminary discussions with WHNO TV-20, New Orleans, an affiliate of LeSEA
Broadcasting, have led to a proposal including the following:

(a) Air the Devotional Chef Show in the “Women’s Block”
(b) Provide a director & access to post-production & mobile production as
needed
(c) Provide streaming video for the Internet, including short portions for
YouTube, and links to devotionalchef.com.
(d) Provide network distribution opportunities.
(e) Assist in securing intellectual property rights related to the show.
(f) Provide an opportunity for Devotional Chef products to be sold during
station telethons.
(g) Provide information on program sponsors and sales staff to The
Devotional Chef.
(h) Both parties meet regularly to provide one other with updates.

This would be accomplished under the White Dove Press, LLC DBA Devotional
Chef Brand. There has been no agreement secured with WHNO at this time; we
are using this proposal as a model for discussions with other similar entities. Our
goal is to secure a TV partner without having to give up intellectual property
rights or an excessive percentage of ownership of the Devotional Chef.

III. Secure intellectual property rights for new inventions.
Version 2.0

The Devotional Chef has a concept for a new line of space-saving cookware, for
which it is in the process of securing intellectual property rights, and is also
entering discussions with a small manufacturer to develop a prototype for
demonstration purposes. The cookware idea is not forming a significant part of
the expected revenues for Devotional Chef products in the next few years,
because the intellectual property must be cleared, and a manufacturing plan
must be prepared. We do include the cookware as part of our expected
expenses for the next year or two.

A successful patent would give the Devotional Chef a new product, and
potentially a new product line, thus opening a new revenue stream. We believe
that with the right manufacturer, we will see revenues increase by between 30%
and 100% immediately after the cookware is made available to the public.

Management

Rev. Robert Lacy (President/CEO) is a full-time
evangelist and the Pastor/Founder of White Dove
Ministries, headquartered in Baton Rouge, LA. The
ministry is a 501C (3) outreach ministry; currently
involved in child sponsorship and in assisting those who
need aid.

Rev. Lacy was born in Trenton, NJ, raised and educated
in Philadelphia, PA and Trenton, NJ, where he attended
high school; he then attended Mercer County Community
College and Trenton State College. He served as past president of the Mercer
County Young Democrats and as a former New Jersey Legislative Aid and
Republican Congressional Staff Assistant and New Jersey Military Liaison.

Moving south, Rev. Lacy attended World Evangelism Bible College and
Seminary in Baton Rouge. He served as a deacon for a church in Trenton and
as a youth pastor in Baton Rouge, and traveled to Europe and Nigeria on a
mission team as an evangelist. His vision is to establish a local church, a state of
the art medical health clinic, soup kitchen, food pantry outreach and child
assistance foundation.

Rev. Lacy also served formerly in the Kiwanis International, Red Stick Chapter
and Kiros National Prison Ministries. He has spoken in churches, prisons,
rehabs, service clubs, on radio and television as a minister and author of two
books, The Devotional Chef’s Cookbook and Anointed to Prosper. He has
produced a celebrity Christian cooking show based on The Devotional Chef’s
Cookbook.

Rev. Robert Lacy is married to Paula K. Lacy, Comptroller and CFO of the
company. They have three adult children and two grandchildren. They are both
Version 2.0

ordained and licensed ministers of the Gospel, and serve as staff ministers at
Grace and Compassion Church in Baton Rouge.

Dr. Ron Graham (VP Business Development) has the following short list of job
descriptions:

aerospace engineer, working with control systems for rockets and
•
spacecraft
teacher of writing and Rhetoric for college students
•
teacher of Algebra, Geometry, and computer literacy for high-school
•
students
robotics engineer, performing design, analysis and testing for flexible
•
manipulators
advisor for start-ups, writing business plans and making connections
•
blogger and archivist of info for young entrepreneurs; writer/editor of two
•
e-books, Rhetoric for Engineers and start me up!

He is the Editor of the Engineer's Companion (http://www.tcnj.edu/~rgraham/), for
more than 12 years one of the most well-respected engineering reference Web
sites in the world. He has written or co-authored several technical papers and
several business plans (each for a company that is still in business). He has
studied at the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and the College of
New Jersey. He currently lives in Trenton, NJ.

Ingrid Stewart (VP Logistics and Fulfillment) has over ten years’ retail
experience in management, customer service, sales, inventory control, and
accounting. In that time she has accomplished the following:

supervised as many as 20 employees
•
trained floor sales and sales support staff
•
maintained regular operations and balancing of ready cash
•
successfully interacted with customers and co-workers on all levels
•

A graduate of Louisiana State University, Ms. Stewart now lives in Baton Rouge.

Paula K. Lacy (Comptroller/CFO) has been with the US Postal Service for 39
years. She currently holds a Sr. Clerk position, providing support to a mail
processing center, and assists corporate customers in accounts receivable and
overall mail processing accounts, balancing hundreds of thousands of dollars of
revenue in cash, checks, bank wire transfers and postage stamp inventory daily.

She has acted as station manager in RFD areas when needed, and has operated
the Louisiana State University on-site USPS facility. She serves as a trainer to
new postal clerks in advanced technologies, including a revenue processing
technology for which she is one of only three trainers in the USA. For her years
of dedicated and successful service she has been awarded many
commendations and citations.
Version 2.0

She is a licensed Minister of the Evangelical Christian Alliance, and can perform
weddings and funerals, including providing appropriate credentials, in Louisiana
and Florida. She co-founded White Dove Ministries, along with Rev. Robert
Lacy, in 1996.

Expected Growth

As can be seen from the sales Sales Forecast
forecast graph, we expect the for Devotional Chef's Cookbook
national sales of the Devotional
Chef’s Cookbook to begin to 600
generate a profit in the fourth Start-up

thousands of dollars
500 Expenses
quarter of 2009, perhaps sooner. Retail sales of
400 Cookbook

The following assumptions are 300
made in the development of this
200
graph:
100
The start-up expenses given
• 0
in red are expected for the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
entire business, not merely
months from December 2008
production of the Cookbook.
Expenses follow a trend
•
leading to nearly $400K spent at the end of 2009, approximately equal to
the amount of investment we hope to secure, as indicated above.
The Cookbook sells at a retail price of approximately $23.
•
The Cookbook sells at a rate of about 3000/month. As we intend
•
ultimately to print 100000 copies, we believe this sales rate is
conservative. Our view is based on 2006 sales mentioned above, along
with a wider distribution and a systematic approach to marketing. Even if
the book sells steadily at 2000/month, it will become profitable in the
middle of 2010.
We will see no measurable sales until the second quarter of 2009.
•

We believe that TV production of the Devotional Chef will initiate a second
revenue stream in the second half of 2009. Our sales model for on-air
sponsorships is as follows:

Sponsor’s Responsibility Cost to Sponsor (thousands of $)
Top Dish/main course 52
Appetizer 36
Dessert 26
Menu 156

Version 2.0

Capital Expenses

Source Cost (thousands of $)
Production, distribution and marketing of 30000 copies of The 35
Devotional Chef’s Cookbook
Production, distribution, and marketing of seasonings and rubs in 26
markets in the southwest region of the US
Advertising in radio, TV, print media, live appearances 110
Administrative costs: 152
• Author/TV personality tour (35)
• Operating funds (27)
• Bookkeeping & administration (both part-time) (70)
• Legal retainer (10)
• Accountant retainer (10)
TV production and airing (estimates vary; this is the largest) 55
Supplies 10
Intellectual property: patents, trademarks, copyrights 10
• Prototypes (for one cookware item at this point)
TOTAL CAPITAL EXPENSES 398

Marketing Strategy

The Devotional Chef believes that an integrated marketing strategy, in which all
media sends the same message about our products. The keystone of our
strategy is customer satisfaction. There are no unhappy customers: there are
only happy customers, and someone else’s.

Web Site. The Devotional Chef Web site (http://www.devotionalchef.com/) has
been responsible for nearly all sales of the Devotional Chef’s Cookbook up to this
point – as has been indicated above, it led to 2000 sales of the Cookbook since
2006. But the Web site is in need of a makeover, which will include
• current search engine optimization practices
• multimedia, including podcasts of recipes prepared by Rev. Lacy
• new product announcements
• testimonials from happy customers; perhaps a social network for their
reactions
• an affiliate program for online sales of Devotional Chef products could be
up and running in the second half of 2009

Book Tour and live cooking shows. As the Cookbook is near re-release, it will
soon be time to send Rev. Lacy out to the regional marketplace in support of the
book. We anticipate a minimum of two regional tours, centered on New Orleans
and Philadelphia. With those tours will come both print media and radio
interviews. Each time we are approached by the media, there will be opportunity
for Rev. Lacy to promote new products and channel potential customers to the
Version 2.0

Web site. Rev. Lacy will accompany the launch of his seasonings line at one
branch of the Whole Foods Market, and we fully expect this launch to be
successful and lead us into Whole Foods locations throughout the Southwest.

Television Appearances. There is room in the Christian television market for
cooking segments on existing shows such at the 700 Club, if not for a regular
network cooking program. The ending of Christian cooking programs such as
the Frugal Gourmet and the Galloping Gourmet has left a programming void.
While the Devotional Chef fully intends to exploit the programming void with a
regular show, there is perhaps a more immediate opportunity for Rev. Lacy to
appear in guest spots. A chef with excellent skill and an engaging on-air
personality, he could also find chances for guest spots on national network
shows such as Today, Good Morning America, Oprah, Rachael Ray, etc. We
intend to seek those opportunities diligently, starting with regional programming
and spreading nationally.

Inexpensive Options. Some of these strategies are already being employed by
the Devotional Chef, but where they are not we are looking at them closely:
• business cards
• stationery
• brochures
• a customer database
• local newspapers
• trade magazines (several small ads in less expensive magazines would
be more cost-effective than a single ad in a national publication)
• professional and business organizations and business networking groups
• joint ventures with vendors and resellers
• hosting seminars and workshops

Long-Term Plans

The major thrust for each of the next five years is as follows:

2008 Launch core products in time for Christmas season (possibly one or two
months behind schedule)
2009 Continue to build brand by adding new products
2010 Reach out to vendors and buyers at trade shows in Chicago and NYC (and
perhaps others)
2011 Appear on QVC and Home Shopping Networks (and perhaps others) with
Devotional Chef quality house wares, seasonings, appliances and cookware
2012 Use momentum from sales in excess of $2M to expand to global markets

If growth continues at a steady pace between 2009 and 2012, estimated gross
sales in 2013 will reach $11.5 million. Our strategic goals are ambitious; even if

Version 2.0

we release only one-third of our planned new products, which might be the case
if we launch no cookware at all, we still expect 2013 sales to reach $3.5 million.

Our sales forecast is
Sales forecast for Devotional Chef based on the
schedule above: if we
hit our milestones,
15
Millions of US dollars

Sales without one aspect of the
cookware brand will carry
10
Sales with another. Cookware
cookware will aid sales of
5 cookbooks and
seasonings. New
cookbooks currently
0
planned will begin to
2009 2010 2011 2012
increase in sales as
Year
the original Cookbook
levels off.

Exit Strategies

Because the Devotional Chef is, as a business entity, involved in multiple
potential income streams, there is a separate possibility for exit with each.

Cookbooks. As long as Rev. Lacy remains a chef, he is very likely to come up
with cookbooks and related items such as calendars and recipe files as long as
there are home cooks interested in the recipes he works with. He expects to
continue to publish these materials for the long term. Television appearances
will maintain strong sales of these materials for several years beyond the
predictions above. Investors will find their best possibility for exit based on the
Devotional Chef buying back their shares at a substantial profit. Expected sales
of these items alone make it possible for investors to recoup several times their
original investment by the beginning of 2013.

Celebrity Products. Lines of seasonings and sauces, driven by Rev. Lacy’s
television appearances and by other products, will lead to a likely exit strategy of
a larger company buying the rights to Devotional Chef celebrity products, as has
been done with other similar product lines, such as Emeril. At that time,
investors will share in the sale price, or have their shares bought out by the
Devotional Chef.

Cookware. Assuming our success in securing intellectual property rights for new
cookware ideas, there are two major exit strategies for this line: either the
Devotional Chef contracts manufacture of these items to a specialty
manufacturer, or the line is sold to a larger company as is expected for celebrity
products above. If the line is sold, investors will share in the sale price, or have
their shares bought out by the Devotional Chef.
Version 2.0

Return on Investment
In any of the cases above, we argue that investors will recoup several times their original
investment by the second quarter of 2013; investors will see profits beginning in the second half
of 2009.

Our forecasts indicate that investments made now will increase in value as follows:

End of 2009 – 120% of original investment
End of 2010 – 300%
End of 2011 – 600%
End of 2012 – 800%

These forecasts are based on assumptions of consistent growth of sales of cookbooks; the
development of a regular televised presence for the Devotional Chef; seasonings and celebrity
products appearing in two or three regional chains at minimum; and the launch of at least one
cookware item.

Version 2.0

Business Plan 2 0 for Devotional Chef Enterprises

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

Similar a Business Plan 2 0 for Devotional Chef Enterprises

Similar a Business Plan 2 0 for Devotional Chef Enterprises (20)

Más de Ron Graham

Más de Ron Graham (12)

Último

Último (20)

Business Plan 2 0 for Devotional Chef Enterprises