MATHEMATICS

FINAL PROJECT

MR. COTE´

YOU, PIZZA ENTREPRENEUR

            Americans spend several billion dollars per year on their favorite fast food -- pizza.  As a shrewd young businessperson, you realize that there's a lot of dough to be made and you  decide to get a slice of the pie (nuck, nuck!).  It takes big bucks to start a business and your piggy bank has been lean lately.   So after you asked your parents for a loan and they said, "Not!", you go to Beaver Lake National Savings and Loan and Espresso Bar (their slogan, "Get a mocha with your mortgage") and inquire about a small business loan.  Your loan officer, Lou Krativ, thinks that you have lots of business savvy and your idea will make a good loan risk.  He'll be happy to give you a five year loan of $100,000.00 at an interest rate of 10 % to help you get started as soon as you bring him a business plan that shows a profit.  Your final project is to develop such a business plan using the information given below.  Your goal is to maximize your profit for the first month of operation.  Your grade will be based on how high a profit you make along with how accurately you complete the other tasks listed.  You may work alone or with up to two partners from your class period (group total of 3).  You may exchange ideas with other businesspeople, but do not share your actual plan as the bank will only fund original proposals.  Given all the variables involved, it will be quite unlikely that two plans are exactly the same.  Let's get open for business!!!

 

The Loan

            Your loan is for $100,000.00.  The term is 5 years at 10% interest.  You've decided to buy all your equipment from a pizza shop that just went bankrupt.  The loan will also take care of business licenses, insurance, utilities, taxes, and 12 months worth of ingredients to make those delicious pizzas.  Of course, the money is not free.  Your monthly payment will be $2,124.71 for 60 months.  This is the first and most important expense you must take care of.  If you don't make a loan payment, the bank will foreclose on your business and you'll be working at D.Q.

 

Location (see map)

            Next, you'll need to decide where to locate your business.  Your research indicates that Yuppy County has 4 districts that are ripe for pizza sales (lots of yuppies and yuppy puppies).  Before you select a district, consider the following factors that may influence sales: 

1.      population.

2.      probability of a sale (not every person will buy a pizza every day).

3.      the cost of renting retail business space (in $ per square foot).

4.      sales tax.

5.      the average distance for delivery (indicated by the line drawn from the center of each district to the center of the county -- you must calculate this distance as the whole trip; don't worry about doubling the distance for the return mileage to the store).

6.      and finally, the type of shop available in each district.  If you select a district that doesn't seem profitable, try a different one.      

 

Building (see map)

            Next, you'll need to rent a shop to house your business.  Diagrams of shops A, B, and C have been provided, complete with dimensions.  Once you've decided on the shop that you like, you'll want to use the measurements to calculate the square footage of your store.  Use the square footage and the rental charge to calculate your monthly rent.  Hours of operation will be Monday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.   

 

Employees

You are the owner/operator and, of course, will do the majority of the work.  You would gladly put in 80 hours per week to help this pizza business grow, but your spouse and young child would like to remember what you look like, so you limit your time at the shop to 60 hours per week.  Even if you work with a partner, your hours may still only total 60 per week.  Your base salary will be $1,500.00 per month plus any portion of the profits that you don't have to use for business expenses.  Now, let's meet the rest of your employees.

            Energetic Edna What a worker!  It's said that Rome wasn't built in a day.  Well it might have been if Edna were around.  Edna has the drive and motivation to look for work to do when her job is finished.  Edna's excellent communication skills, organizational ability, and calculator-like brain make her an outstanding assistant manager with a productivity rating of A.  She is well worth the $7.00 per hour you pay her and is happy to work 35 hours per week.  Enjoy having this employee while you can, because every major university this side of the Mississippi has offered her a scholarship and she won't be around after high school graduation.

            Glamorous Glenda If looks were productivity, Glenda would out-perform the most industrious of workers.  Unfortunately, this employee spends more time doing her nails than making pizzas.  Her math skills are shabby, so she can't take inventory or plan production -- numbers make her sweat, and as Glenda puts it, "I refuse to do a job that makes my eyeliner run!"  When Glenda's not in the rest room doing a make-over, she builds pizzas in slow motion, giving her a C productivity rating.  Glenda will work 15 hours a week, as long as she has unlimited phone use while at work.  You've realized that Glenda costs more than she's worth, i.e., what she earns for you is lost on the phone bill, but she replaced an employee that was giving pizzas away to friends.  You grin and bear it.   Glenda earns $5.00 per hour.

            Reliable Reginald This guy is every employer's dream.  Reginald is a real Eagle Scout -- trustworthy, helpful, loyal etc., etc.  He works his fingers to the bone and would eat dirt if you asked him to.  He's taking calculus in high school, so restaurant math (bookkeeping, making change, tabulating supply orders) is a snap.  Reginald doesn't worry about the $7.00 an hour.  He's just pleased as punch to have a job.  All the money is going into a trust fund for vocational school or college anyway.  Reginald has a paper route, mows lawns, and is happy to work 30 hours per week at your store.  He holds the title of assistant manager and has an A productivity rating.

            Lazy Leopold Needless to say, Leopold is one of the least productive employees.  You remember him in math class.  He never had a pencil, never did his homework, and always seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness.  Well, Leopold never made it through high school, but now he's your employee.  "Hey, what do you expect for a lousy $5.00 an hour," is his favorite expression.  When Leopold shows up for work (he calls in sick quite a bit, especially when "Three Stooges" reruns are on T.V.) he can only muster enough energy to make a few pizzas per hour, good for a C productivity rating.  You have the "Help Wanted" sign out, but you're stuck with him until someone better comes along.  Leopold can only work 20 hours per week due to his time-consuming hobby -- collecting earwax.

            Better Than Average Al Al has been improving since he's been with you.  His productivity rating of B has him earning $6.00 an hour.  Al can only work 25 hours per week because he's busy with sports. 

            Better Than Average Sal Al's twin sister also does a real decent job.  She has a productivity rating of B, earns $6.00 an hour, and can put in 30 hours per week because she's almost out of high school. 

            Drivers You have 10 drivers available to deliver your pizzas.  They're all over 18 and will gladly work a 12 hour shift for 4 days per week.  You pay them $1.00 per pizza delivered and they get tips from the customer upon speedy delivery.

 

Additional Employees

You'll need more employees to staff your business.  All of the following workers have a “B” rating and can work 30 hours per week.  They earn $6.00 per hour.  Select from this list.

 

Flip DeBurger

Brady Armpitt

Hiram Wedgie

Bertha Spitz

Ivan Steeling

Picken Greenies

Ura Bum        

Sina Waiver

Ima Wake      

Sue N. DeBoss

Max Beeoh   

Red Ruffbottom

Flossie Gums

Kent Wakem

Mary Menow

Stu Drooler

Rob DeBank             

Curly Nosehair

Rip Uhoff       

Tu Long Indecan

 

Employment Conditions

·        You may hire as many employees as you would like.

·        You must pay all of your employees.

·        You must have a manager (yourself) or assistant manager in the store at all times during operating hours. 

·        Each week, you must have at least one C rated employee in the store for all the hours that employee can work, like it or not.

·        A month is 28 days long.

·        Productivity ratings indicate how many pizzas per week an employee can make.  Use the following equations (X = the number of hours worked in one week, y = the number of pizzas made)

 

            C                     y=2x

            B                     y=3x

            A                     y=4x

            you                  y=5x

 

Pizzas

            Your research has helped you to decide that selling one size of pizza is more profitable than selling a variety of sizes.  Pick one of the following to sell (be sure to consider the delivery rates in the next section):

#1 Il Duce Here's a mouth watering pizza that the little dictator would have been proud of.  It has plenty of zip with sausage, mozzarella, and black olives.  Customers will give the boot to all other pizzas after one of these, or else!  Il Duce is 12 inches in diameter and sells for $9.00 each ($5.00 profit).

#2   The Nero You won't fiddle around with this one!  Once you taste it, the flavors of pepperoni, jalepenos and anchovies will burn into your memory.  At 14 inches and $12.00, this one will bring music to your ears, and $6.00 profit to your wallet.

#3   The Mona Lisa Yes, this pizza is a real work of art.  Let the red tomatoes, green onions, black olives, and yellow squash put a smile on your face.  Your customers will think a genius put this one together!  This 16 inch diameter masterpiece sells for $15.00 with $7.00 of profit. 

 

Delivery

            There are two types of delivery trucks available.  Truck A costs $.30 per mile and has a monthly rental charge of $60.00.  Truck B costs $.25 per mile and has a monthly rental fee of $70.00.  Each truck can carry different sized pizzas at various rates per hour.  Consider the following table as you rent trucks.  You must pick type A or B, no mixing.

pizza 1            pizza 2            pizza 3

truck A                                    6 /hr.                5/hr.                 4/hr.

truck B                                    5/hr.                 4/hr.                 3/hr.