Business

The Business Plan for a National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum, is being proposed to be a floating museum to preserve a vital piece of history and create a lasting reminder of the strong ties between Greece and the United States (Raptakis, 2008). The liberty ship, called The Arthur M. Huddell is the last of the Liberty Ships vessels which played a vital role in the efforts of the United States to aid European allies during World War II and during the Cold War years. For years, the Huddell had been anchored off Fort Eustis in Newport News Virginia and managed by the United States Maritime Administration. In 2008, the Arthur M. Huddell liberty ship was transferred to Piraeus, Greece to become a floating museum after a memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Greece (Voice of Greece, 2009).

The Business Plan looks into the marketing, financial and administrative viability of managing the floating museum. The proponent was able to provide convincing evidences, backed by reliable statistical and demographic data and solid research that showed that putting up the National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum would be highly desirable and profitable. The governments of Greece and the United States will both profit from this business venture .as it will promote global tourism and appreciation for the role of liberty ships during World War II.  The floating liberty ship memorial museums premier historical significance lies on reminding us of how precious liberty is to our nation and to the world.

Future generations will benefit from the uniqueness, accessibility, and transportability of the floating museum because it will not only be a permanent attraction of Greece but the museum can be transported anywhere in the world. As the symbol of freedom, the the Arthur M. Huddell liberty ship, the last of its kind, will be preserved and will continue to advocate for freedom from all wars.

The proponent is seeking funding to the tune of 5 million for the costs of repair and restoration of the liberty ship. Obviously, there are other expenses like museum facilities, equipment and materials, among others, that are needed which will enable the floating museum to be sustainable over the long term. Both public and private funding are being strongly sought to enable this plan to be financially viable.
Knowing the impact that the National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum will have on preserving the history and heritage of World War II to Greece and to the rest of the world, it is therefore highly recommended that this business plan be approved and implemented as soon as possible.

The Strategic Business Plan proposes to put up the National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum, which will be a floating museum that has for its mission to preserve and promote the heritage of World War II liberty ships for the benefit of both present and future generations. The floating museum also serves as a concrete sign of the long-lasting friendship and alliance between the government of the United States and the Hellenic Republic of Greece. To fulfill this overall mission, the museum shall
 Manage and preserve the last liberty ship SS Arthur M. Huddell (now known as Liberty Hellas).
 Promote the floating museum not only to the Greeks but also to the rest of the world.
 Administer the museums personal property and rights.
 Obtain and manage historical objects and artifacts related to World War II.
 Publish history books and journals of World War II liberty ships.

The Business Plan includes the following key aspects mission statement, core principles, strategic goals, start-up costs, business description, brief history of liberty ships, business environment analysis, market analysis, promotional strategy, promotional strategy, SWOT analysis, distribution strategy, pricing strategy, staffing strategy, management strategy, and museum operations and activities. The Business Plan presents the details of all of the factors that will ensure the viability of the project and its financial sustainability over the long term (Bangs, 2009).

Some of the key issues regarding the conversion of the liberty ship include funding, repairs and restoration, and efficient management team. Estimated cost for the repair and restoration of the World War II ship is more than 5 million, and possible sources of funding include public and private sectors, community investors, and government agencies. However, the aforementioned amount does not include expenses for museum facilities, information technology infrastructure, necessary equipment and materials, among others. On the other hand, some of the key issues affecting museum industry are the following the ongoing financial global, global terrorism, and competition pose as threat to the venture. Short-term goals and long-term goals have also been identified. Long-term goals include strategic plans for the museum to be a prominent and remarkable public attraction in Greece and in the region to be a significant educational and historical destination and resource in the areas of war history and World War II events and to offer a unique personal and family experiences, nostalgia and information.

For its marketing strategy, the business venture will focus on the students as its primary customers and will make use of a web site to promote the museum. The web site will have greater reach, i.e., international exposure, because the museum will have an online presence.

For the SWOT analysis conducted, it yields a positive result, since the number of strengths and opportunities outweigh the number of weaknesses and threats. For instance, the floating museum has the following strengths uniqueness and transportability its capacity to offer unique and satisfactory experience to visitors pre-existing popularity its one-of-its-kind feature accessibility, among others. It can be concluded that from the standpoint of marketability, financial viability and sustainability

In order to successfully manage the museum, it must have the right staffing requirements with qualified museum personnel. By creating the highest governing body, which will be called the Board of National liberty Ship Memorial Museum, the project will be assured of effective management and control of all the assets of the museum, and the Board will have the authority to make strategic decisions for the best interests of the museum.

The giant leap from being an old liberty ship to a modern, well-equipped floating ship memorial museum will be the greatest challenge that this project will face. However, based on the market analysis, SWOT analysis, the analysis of competition and comparative advantage, the financial analysis as well as analysis of the museum management aspects, all the results point to the viability, feasibility, and sustainability of this business venture, and it can be concluded that it would be to the great advantage of the Greek government its people to support this plan to establish the first-of-its kind  National Hellas Liberty Ship Memorial Museum in Pireus, Greece and to provide the financial support needed to make it a reality.