Engineer Davidson Mulley

Week 2 Due on Aug 9th at 5 pm EST

For your Capstone Project you will be writing a business plan. 

A key to writing business plan (also referred to as your Capstone Project or Project) is to clearly outline the contents of your business plan as follows:

1. Begin with a cover sheet with the title of your project, date of submission, your name, and your email address.

2. Construct a one page Table of Contents which outlines the sections of your business plan.

3. Write an “Introduction” section of the business plan. This will include a description of your project and a brief statement of how you see the project fitting into your program of studies and areas of professional interest. This should be 1-2 pages in length.

4. Write an “Expected Outcomes or Alternatives” section. Describe the expected outcomes or alternatives that you anticipate from completing this business plan. This may be speculative at this point in time, but we simply wish you to consider what outcomes you deem possible from this assignment. You should also comment here on the personal and/or organizational benefits that may likely flow from completing this business plan. This should be 1-3 pages in length.

5. Write a “Key to Business Plan Success” section. This should be a brief statement of what you believe would make your business plan a success. If you were asked to evaluate this business plan at this point in the process, what criteria would you recommend as being useful in conducting such an evaluation.

6. Write a “Business Description”. Here you will paint a vivid a picture of your company’s vision and the breakthrough idea your plan offers to the market.

. Identify any special skills you possess which enable you to ensure the success of your plan.

. Include any personal incentives for starting this business

. Discuss any previous experience you possess in creating and operating a business in your chosen industry.

. Write a brief industry analysis, with a discussion of existing competition, a SWOT analysis of your business.

. Write a detailed rational for selecting this type of business, insight into how it aligns with previous course work and your future plans.

· This should be 4-5 pages in length.

**This assignment is to be written in APA format.**

Week 3 Due on Aug 16th at 5 pm EST

Just prior to the conclusion of your Module 3 completion date, you should ensure that you submit in the dropbox below the following to your instructor:

1. A completed copy of the Module 3 Submission Report (See Appendix A).

2. A copy of the Business Plan Proposal including all amendments and changes.

3. A copy of the Workplan covering the timelines set for Modules 4-8.

4. A copy of your Schedule of Deliverables covering timelines set for Modules 4-8 (Appendix B).

Week 4 Due on Aug 23rd at 5 pm EST

Complete a Capstone Project Activity Report (see Appendix B) in which you provide your instructor with a brief but formal update on your progress to date. This Activity Report is intended to serve as both a self-pacing mechanism but also to ensure that any changes in your Workplan or Schedule of Deliverables (Appendix A) are also reported.

Week 5 Due on Aug 30th at 5 pm EST

Complete a Capstone Project Activity Report (see Appendix B) in which you provide your instructor with a brief but formal update on your progress to date. This Activity Report is intended to serve as both a self-pacing mechanism but also to ensure that any changes in your Workplan or Schedule of Deliverables (Appendix A) are also reported. 

Be sure to include updated submission dates for your milestones

Week 6 Due on Sep 6th at 5 pm EST

Complete a Capstone Project Activity Report (see Appendix B) in which you provide your instructor with a brief but formal update on your progress to date. This Activity Report is intended to serve as both a self-pacing mechanism but also to ensure that any changes in your Workplan or Schedule of Deliverables (Appendix A) are also reported. 

Be sure to include updated submission dates for your milestones

Week 7 Due on Sep 13th at 5 pm EST

Complete a Capstone Project Activity Report (see Appendix B) in which you provide your instructor with a brief but formal update on your progress to date. This Activity Report is intended to serve as both a self-pacing mechanism but also to ensure that any changes in your Workplan or Schedule of Deliverables (Appendix A) are also reported. 

Be sure to include updated submission dates for your milestones

Week 8 Due on Sep 20th at 5 pm EST

Submit your final project with any changes requested from your instructor.

The format of the business plan submission is as follows:

1. Cover Page (Name, course number, section, instructor name and the date)

2. Executive Summary

3. Table of contents

4. Industry Overview

5. Discussion of business

6. Analysis of business opportunity

. Marketing plan

. Financial Plan

· Self- Analysis

· Appendix

. Supporting documents

· Bibliography/References

The specific details for the development of the business plan are:

Business plan components:

1. The industry: a brief overview and long-term outlook for growth

2. Discussion of your business:

. Company Name

. Mission statement

. Type of business—retail, manufacturing, service

. Proposed ownership/legal structure

. Unique product or service you will offer

· Analysis of the business opportunity (marketing plan and business plan):

. Target market inclusive of potential customers and their location

. Location of your business

. Economic, demographic, and geographic factors which may influence the success of the proposed venture

· Self-analysis:

. Actual personal experience, education and training in the area/ industry of proposed business

. Personal strengths and weaknesses which may help and hinder the venture.

. Personal development plan which should include details for addressing and overcoming areas of weakness

. Personal development plan for life long learning to keep up with on going changes in the marketing place.

Marketing Plan

The marketing plan should address how you will differentiate your company from competitors. Frame your marketing plan to show potential investors what factors will make your product or service more desirable than those offered by the competition. The marketing plan should include:

1. Review industry size, trends, and target market segment.

2. A competitive analysis

. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each primary competitor.

. Consider sales, quality, distribution, price, production capabilities, reputation, and products/services.

. Identify who leads the industry in terms of

. Price

. Quality

. Market share

· Outline how your product or service measures in the area of pricing and identify your competitive advantage.

· Prepare a first-year and a 3-year sales forecast in dollars and units.

· Briefly outline your sales and advertising plans.

Financial Plan

Financials demonstrate the viability of a business while they help justify the need for funding. In this section describe financial estimates and rationale which include financial statements and forms that document the viability of your proposed business and its soundness as an investment.

1. Prepare three-year projections for income, expenses, and sources of funds.

. Base predictions on industry and historical trends.

. Make realistic assumptions.

. Allow for funding changes at different stages of your company’s growth.

. Present a written rationale for your projections.

· Indicate your startup costs.

. Detail how startup funds will be used to advance your proposed business

. List current capital and any other sources of funding you may have.

. Document your calculations.

. Use reasonable estimates and/or actual data (where possible). 

· Create a cash-flow statement.

Research

In addition to conducting online research of journals, and Internet sources, you should consult sources such as the SBA, trade magazines, and organizations online and in your area to analyze your industry, customers, and the business opportunity.

Executive Summary

Once you have completed the detailed process of evaluating the proposed business opportunity and compiled all of the findings into a detailed project, you will need to create a 1-2 page summary of the proposed business venture. This summary should provide a short description of the business concept and include a brief summary of each section. Highlight your breakthrough idea by describing the unique aspects of your product or service. This summary should be the first section of your submission after the cover sheet. Although this is the first section, it is earlier to complete this section once your project is complete and you have a clear picture of your overall work.

Appendix

This last section of your business plan section should provide documentation that your plan is well-researched, based on extensive research and reasonable assumptions. In addition, it should demonstrate that the proposed company is not entering a declining industry or market segment. Supporting documents: Compile supporting documents developed while creating the business plan and include them in the Appendix. Collect all data such as marketing reports, article reprints, etc used to research and create your predictions, as well as any worksheets, forecasting data, calculations and statements used for the estimates. Include a copy of a recent financial statement for the business, if available.

References

This section allows you to identify all the reference materials you consulted in the preparation of your business plan. In order to ensure academic integrity, list all sources consulted.