business plan assignment

**Signature Assignment** Assignment 7: Final Paper Handout and Rubric Length: 35 – 70 double-spaced pages* *Students may find that they need to use more pages to cover the assignment. Due: Week 8 Saturday Midnight (PST) Post: Week 8 Assignments Folder Points: This is the final Business Plan that is to show mastery of the course learning objectives for this course and the entire BBA program. The Business Plan is to show business research, analysis, writing, and mastery of APA. Be sure that you have incorporated all of the suggestions from your instructor (Assignments 1 – 6) in this final document. Look carefully over the instructor comments from “Putting it all Together”. This is your Signature Assignment for this course and will be turned in through TurnItIn/Grademark. Remember this is the one document that you will show your current and future bosses. You want your bosses to look at this document and instantly promote you! Be sure to follow APA for your Table of Contents and Reference page (many students trip upon those). Show mastery in each of the following sections, with APA references from your research, analysis and your text book. 1. Executive Summary

You will include this section in the Outline – but you will not be able to write this section until you have completed all of the research and written all of the other sections. However, it is good for you to know that:

The purpose of an Executive Summary is to write a brief description of your plan that allows the reader to gain the essence of the entire plan in less than two pages. It is intended to give a busy executive the key information and lead the reader to the sections that will answer the executive’s primary questions. It is not an introduction to the plan, as you may have written in typical papers. This Executive Summary, although positioned first in the project, should actually be written last. That way you know what you are summarizing. Writing it earlier will cause it to tend towards a traditional introduction. The elements of an Executive Summary are: ● Usually starts with “There is a need” back up with data. This includes a description

of the unsatisfied need that creates the business opportunity/innovation ● Purpose of the plan (attract investors, bring a new innovation to a specific and

identified and cited market, etc.) ● Introduction to market opportunity – what is the innovation, what is the industry,

what is the value that it brings

● Brief description of the connection to the Fortune 500 Company

2. Mission and Vision Statement & Innovation Description The Mission and Vision should be carefully crafted. You should see evidence of how operational, financial, management and marketing plans are executed in light of the innovations mission and vision. You are writing about the Innovation not about the Fortune 500 company, and yet you have to show the connections. Company Description (proposed new organization) ◉ Type of Business and Legal Structure (e.g., LLC, sole proprietorship) ◉ Distinctive Core Competencies, overview of the demographics, location financial

viability. In this section you will also show (but not repeat) the connection between your Innovation and the Fortune 500 Company, but you are not writing an Outline about the Fortune 500 company

3. Industry Analysis and Trends (state of the industry, market research, barriers to

entry, identifying competitors, identifying market niche, expert advice, competitive analysis, strategic positioning). All with cited data from academic and business sources.

◉ The history of the industry ◉ Size of the industry ◉ Industry evolution ◉ The trend--where the industry is expected to be in five to ten years ◉ The key players in the industry (those who do something like this well and those

who do not). ◉ Perform a competitive advantage analysis. ◉ Barriers and challenges to entering the market • Environmental Scan Significant factors in the macro environment Clear statement of the opportunities and threats through SWOT analysis. The SWOT connects to the research and results in data driven decision making. Other issues include but are not limited to:

◉ Copyrights, Patents, and Intellectual Property Rights ◉ Research and Development Activities ◉ Failures in the industry ◉ Opportunities ◉ Changes in the market

• Products and services Detailed Product/Service Description

◉ Product Life Cycle ◉ Copyrights, Patents, and Intellectual Property Rights ◉ Research and Development Activities

4. Strategic Positioning, Strategic Intent (Measurable Goals), Competition strengths and weaknesses (using SWOT, AAA, and other matrices)

5. Product / Service (define product or service, what makes the product worthwhile,

liability concerns, expert advice) ◉ How does the position in the Product Life Cycle affect this Business Plan? ◉ How does the position in the Industry Life Cycle affect this Business Plan?

6. Management Plan (hiring projections, board of directors or advisors, outside

professionals, licenses, expert advice) Management and Ownership ◉ Board of directors and rationale for members ◉ Management staff structure - Organizational chart ◉ Key managers ◉ Plans to attract, develop, and retain key personnel ◉ Future additions to the current management team ◉ Compensation and reward plans (based upon Indeed.com data) ◉ Training and motivation plan (financial and otherwise) ◉ Insurance plans and costs ◉ Government rules and regulations that might apply ◉ Answer Drucker’s Five Questions at it relates to your business

http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/5-essential-questions-entrepreneurs.html 7. Marketing Plan (defining the product, defining the customers, selling prices, market

placing/segmentation, promotion, follow-up plan, and expert advice). Use http://www.fedstats.gov/ for more information ◉ What is the competitive advantage that this business will create? ◉ Major characteristics of the target market (what does the customer look like?) ◉ What is the demand of this target market? ◉ Nature of the competition? ◉ What are total sales to this market in geographic area? ◉ What are total sales expected in five years? In ten years? ◉ What percentage of this demand does this business expect to capture? ◉ What are the four P’s? ◉ Overall marketing strategy ◉ Specific marketing mix ◉ Strengths and weaknesses in ability to satisfy target market needs ◉ Communication plan internally and externally ◉ Channels of distribution ◉ Sales strategy (Customer Relationship Management Program) ◉ Product and service cost

8. Operations Plan (operations for product or service from the beginning to the end of the supply chain (Cradle to Cradle) of the supply chain, technology, expert advice). Key suppliers, Customers Operations ◉ List of potential suppliers ◉ Production and Service Delivery Procedures ◉ Supply Chain process flow chart (how goods and services will flow from the supplier

all the way through the organization to the customer). These are some examples: https://www.google.com/search?q=process+flow+chart&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=u niv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwj_qUwI3QAhXHh1QKHdwABsQQsAQISg&biw=192 0&bih=97

◉ Products return process ◉ Supplier Relationship Management ◉ Logistics ◉ Packaging ◉ Transportation

9. Financial Plan (income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, personal

financial statement [not included in student plan – but students need to be aware of this requirement], financial ratios, forecasts, expert advice). ◉ Financial Analysis ◉ Funds required and their sources ◉ Current funding requirements ◉ Funding requirements over the next three years (key ratios to focus on) ◉ Use of funds ◉ Loss Control

● Financial statements for first three (3) years (monthly first year and annually for

years two and three) (may use template) ◉ Income statements ◉ Balance sheets ◉ Cash flow statements ◉ Determine capital requirements ◉ Determine funding sources

10. Action Plan: Steps to take to implement business plan including performance

evaluation criteria. 11. Conclusions & Recommendations

• Conclude why your business is a viable business venture (or a viable business/strategic path for the client company)

• Explain why the student should or should not pursue the business venture at this time (or why or why not the client)

• business should pursue the path under investigation)

12. Appendices & Reference Section (Reference section will include at least 35 sources for research for the business plan and APA citation will be provided for each source). Examples for other Appendices include: a. Key employee resumes, product and advertising samples, press clippings b. First impression collateral (e.g. cover letters for sources of income, brand, printing,

design, charts, graphs and tables, multimedia presentations, etc.) c. Information that creates capital (market research, communication plan, financing,

websites, trade groups and associations, etc.)

References This section continues with the Arabic numbering of pages. Only sources of information that have actually been cited in the project are included here. (see APA sample paper https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/18/)

Appendices The appendices continue with the Arabic numbering of pages from the previous section. (see APA sample paper https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/18/) Below is the Rubric that will be used to grade this assignment: 390 340 290 240 EXEMPLARY PROFICIENT DEVELOPING EMERGING Content Accuracy

78 The content of the business plan is thoughtful and accurate. A good blending of course material and personal experience with strategies. There are no factual errors. Applies terminology and concepts appropriately. Utilizes all of the text books and at least ten other primary resources.

68 Most of the content of the Final Business Plan is accurate and a strategy for implementation is clear, but there is one piece of information that seems confusing. Applies most terminology and concepts appropriately.

58 The content of the Business Plan is generally accurate, but one piece of information is clearly inaccurate. Applies some terminology and concepts appropriately.

48 The content is confusing or contains more than one factual error. Does not apply legal terminology and concepts appropriately.

Writ/Org Writing and Organization

78 Writing, graphs and charts are logical and organized. Sentences are well-phrased and varied in length and structure. Word choice is consistently precise and accurate. The writing is free of errors in grammar, spelling and writing mechanics. The report is the specified length of the assignment. APA is flawless.

68 Writing, graphs and charts are generally logical and organized. Sentences are well-phrased and varied in length and structure. Word choice is generally precise and mostly accurate. There are occasional errors in grammar, spelling and writing mechanics. The report is the specified length of the assignment.

58 Writing, graphs or charts lacks logical progression or organization. Sentences are awkward and often unclear. Word choice is acceptable but range of words is limited or lack precision. The writing has errors which impact the understanding of the report and cause a distraction. The report is shorter than the specified length of the assignment.

48 Writing is not logical or organized. Sentences do not form a cohesive whole and structure of sentences is distracting and confusing to the reader. Words are used inappropriately. There are several errors in grammar, spelling and writing mechanics. The report if shorter than the specified length of the assignment.

Theory/Content Understanding of Theory and/or Critical Concepts

78 Communicates an exemplary understanding of what it takes to begin a business, gain funding and meet legal and ethical requirements. Explains strategy in own words using concepts and theory or concepts appropriately in the assignment.

68 Communicates a good understanding of what it takes to begin a business, gain funding and meet legal and ethical requirements for a new business. Explains strategy in own words using concepts and theory or concepts appropriately in the assignment.

58 Communicates some understanding of what it takes to begin a business, meeting legal and ethical standards, but relies on more paraphrasing and quoting than own words and sometimes uses the theory or concepts appropriately in the assignment.

48 Does not communicate understanding of business law theory. Relies on paraphrasing and quoting and does not uses theory or concepts appropriately in the assignment.

App of Theory Application of Theory

78 Consistently applies theories from accounting, finance, innovation, marketing, management and strategy as examples, while using personal experience, and in a thoughtful and meaningful manner applies them to their Business Plan. Takes theory beyond traditional applications.

68 Generally applies theories from accounting, finance, innovation, marketing, management and strategy as examples, while using personal experience, and in a somewhat thoughtful and meaningful manner applies them to their Business Plan. Takes theory beyond traditional applications.

58 Inconsistently applies theories from accounting, finance, innovation, marketing, management and strategy as examples, while using personal experience, and in a thoughtful and meaningful manner applies them to their Business Plan. Takes theory beyond traditional applications.

48 Rarely or never applies business law theory to practice, examples, experience, and/or “real world” situations in a thoughtful or meaningful way. Does not take theory beyond traditional applications.

Synthesis

78 Surprisingly and insightfully takes ideas, theories, processes, and/or principles into new territory, broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications. Demonstrates an ability to take the program and course material and use it in his/her life. Clearly evaluates the power and relevance of

68 Takes ideas, theories, processes, and/or principles into new territory, broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications. Evaluates the power and relevance of these ideas in multiple situations and settings.

58 Sometimes, takes ideas, theories, processes, and/or principles into new territory, broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications. Sometimes, evaluates the power and relevance of these ideas in multiple situations and settings.

48 Rarely or never takes ideas, theories, processes, and/or principles into new territory, broader generalizations, hidden meanings and implications. Rarely or never evaluates the power and relevance of these ideas in multiple situations and settings.

these ideas in multiple situations and settings.