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ECO 520 Final Project: Investment Opportunity Analysis Guidelines and Grading Guide

Overview This investment opportunity analysis project is designed to guide you through the process of applying key components of advanced microeconomics theories to typical business decisions. You will assume the role of an entrepreneur, and you will conduct an analysis focusing on an investment opportunity of your choice. In your analysis you will carefully evaluate key factors influencing the demand for the product, cost and supply issues, the role of market structure, and competitive analysis on firm strategy. You will also analyze the effects of government regulations and market intervention on potential profitability, and you will use price and non-price strategies to support product introduction. Using the above analyses, the last step in your final project requires you to model the potential financial viability of the proposed new product using approximate figures. You will determine whether or not to recommend investing in the development and commercialization of the investment opportunity to your business partners. This assignment will assess your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Analyze product demand, company revenues, and the effects of external market influences through the use of microeconomic principles

 Analyze organizational costs and identify technical and economically efficient methods of production and acquisition of resources through the use of microeconomic principles and tools

 Evaluate the effect of market structure and consumer behavior on firm strategies and profitability

 Recommend pricing strategies based on marketing conditions, which improve firm profitability and can be effectively implemented

 Evaluate government regulations and interventions for their effects on business and market performance

Prompt Develop an analytical document informed by key advanced microeconomic theories and principles. The purpose of your analysis is to assist with the decision to implement a product or service for a start-up company (submit your product or service for approval to the instructor). Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed in your analysis:

1. Opportunity Background and Demand: In this section you will identify an appropriate investment opportunity specific to introducing a new product or service. You will analyze product demand and company revenues specific to this opportunity applying key economic principles to support your reasoning.

a. Background: Provide a brief background on the company, product line, and proposed product. This is where you would lay the foundation for the analysis that follows. What is the significance of this opportunity?

b. Demand: Evaluate key non-price variables that are expected to support existing or potential demand specific to this opportunity and support your evaluation with sources. For example, this is where you want to include rationale for your selection, such as empirical data for this type of product/service.

2. Production and Resources: In this section you will evaluate variables specific to production and resource costs for the improvement of organizational costs.

a. Costs: Assess what key non-price variables could be expected to affect production costs of the new product. How can these aspects be leveraged to effect efficient methods of production and acquisition of resources to improve upon organizational costs?

b. Constraints: Assess constraints that could affect future production and costs. How can these aspects be leveraged to effect efficient methods of production and acquisition of resources to improve upon organizational costs?

c. Effects: Assess the effect of potential technology changes on production, costs, or competition. How can these aspects be leveraged to effect efficient methods of production and acquisition of resources to improve upon organizational costs?

3. Market Structure: In this section you will evaluate the market structure and influences on firm strategies and profitability.

a. Market Competition: What is the existing and potential market competition? How do these companies affect the firm’s strategies and profitability? This is where you would discuss the type of competitors, number of competitors and barriers to entry.

b. Firm Strategies: What are potential price and non-price strategies that the firm might use and what is their relationship to the market structure? For example, discuss a strategy that would support the success of your product. Depending on how the industry is structured you might discuss how it is consistent with the market structure. Perhaps you would address how it is different. Once you address this, you would discuss how your choice provides an advantage in the market.

4. Effects of Regulation and Intervention: In this section you will evaluate the effects of government regulation and interventions that may impact your business. For

example, you could discuss how well the market operates and include examples of aspects of market performance specific to your selection. Is it efficient? Does it produce good outcomes? Why or why not?

a. Policies: Identify policies or regulations at the local, state, or national level that could potentially affect your business. What are the potential effects on the firm’s goals and performance?

b. Effects: How do these policies or regulations affect your ability to compete and profitably operate in your business? Include examples specific to aspects of market performance to support your conclusions. For example, some forms of regulation, such as patent protection, may afford more profit opportunities while others, such as environmental regulations, may add to your costs.

5. Outlook Recommendations: In this section you will evaluate the outlook for success for this investment opportunity? Is it likely to be profitable? Not profitable? What factors support this outlook? Apply appropriate principles that support your statements. Remember, your conclusions should be logical and based on your analysis of A-D.

a. Risk: What level of risk is present? This is where you would discuss what uncertainties are present that would negatively impact the firm’s outlook based on your analysis. For example, you might discuss the effects of rational and irrational consumer decision making on demand for this product and how it impacts this outlook.

b. Opportunities: What opportunities exist that would appeal to potential investors based on your analysis? What factors support these opportunities? c. Strategies: What pricing strategies would you recommend to improve firm profitability? For example, should you match what your competitors do? Is the

product or service specialized? Would you bundle the product or services? Would you use price discrimination? Explain why you chose this strategy. d. Implementation: How can these strategies be effectively implemented based on market conditions? This is where you would describe examples of effective

implementation specific to different market conditions. e. Capitalizing on Government Policy: How can the new venture take advantage of government policies to maximize profitability?

Milestones Milestone One: Topic and Background Information In task 2-2, you will submit a 2–3-page paper on the background and demand of the investment opportunity you identified for your final project. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One: Topic and Background Information Rubric. Milestone Two: Production and Resources In task 4-4, you will submit a 2–3-page paper that analyzes your investment opportunity production and resources factors by costs, constraints, and effects of technology. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two: Production and Resources Rubric. Milestone Three: Market Competition and Firm Strategies In task 7-2, you will submit a 3–5-page paper on market competition and firm strategies. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three: Market Competition and Firm Strategies Rubric. Final Submission: Investment Opportunity Analysis In task 9-2, you will submit your final project, a 10–12-page analytical document informed by key advanced microeconomic theories and principles, which will assist with the decision to implement a product or service for a start-up company. This paper will be graded using the Final Product Rubric (below).

Deliverable Milestones

Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading

1 Topic and Background Information Two Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric

2 Production and Resources Four Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric

3 Market Competition and Firm Strategies Seven Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric

Final Submission Nine Graded separately; Final Product Rubric

Final Product Rubric Requirements of Submission: 12 Point Times New Roman font, double spaced, adhering to all appropriate writing conventions, including APA style citation format and a scholarly tone. Page-length requirements: 10-12 pages not including title and references pages Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these

instructions.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Background

Meets “Proficient” criteria and includes economic concepts that enrich and extend the summary

Provides a summary of an investment opportunity including company, product line, and proposed product specific to this opportunity that informs audience

Provides summary of an investment opportunity but with gaps in addressing critical aspects of company, product line, and proposed product specific to this opportunity that informs audience

Does not provide a summary of an investment opportunity

7

Demand

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies evaluation with economic concepts that enrich and extend the evaluation

Evaluates key non-price variables that are expected to support existing or potential demand specific to this opportunity using appropriate resources to support the evaluation

Evaluates key non-price variables that are expected to support existing or potential demand specific to this opportunity but with gaps in appropriate resources that support the claims made in the evaluation

Does not evaluate key non-price variables that are expected to support existing or potential demand specific to this opportunity

7

Costs

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Analysis of key non-price variables addresses how these aspects can be leveraged to improve upon organizational costs

Analyzes key non-price variables but with gaps in how these aspects can be leveraged to improve upon organizational costs

Does not analyze of key non- price variables

7

Constraints

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Analysis of constraints addresses how these aspects can be leveraged to improve upon organizational costs

Analyzes constraints but with gaps in how these aspects can be leveraged to improve upon organizational costs

Does not analyze constraints

7

Effects of Technology

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Assesses effects of potential technology for how these aspects can be leveraged to improve upon organizational costs

Assesses effects of potential technology but with gaps for how these aspects can be leveraged to improve upon organizational costs

Does not assess effects of potential technology

7

Market Competition

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Assesses market competition for impact on firm strategies and profitability

Assesses market competition but with gaps on their associated impact on firm strategies and profitability

Does not assess market competition

7

Firm Strategies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Assesses potential firm price and non-price strategies for their relationship to the market structure

Assesses potential firm price and non-price strategies but aspects of their relationship to the market structure are unclear

Does not assess potential firm price and non-price strategies

7

Policies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Identifies policies or regulations at the local, state, or national levels that may affect business explaining the reasoning for these policies

Identifies policies or regulations at the local, state, or national levels that may affect business but with gaps in explaining reasoning for these policies

Does not identify policies or regulations at the local, state, or national levels that may affect business

7

Effects of Interventions

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Describes the potential effects of the identified government policies or regulations on the firm’s goals and performance

Describes the potential effects of the identified government policies or regulations but with gaps on how aspects impact firm’s goals and performance

Does not describe the potential effects of the identified government policies or regulations on the firm’s goals and performance

7

Outlook: Risk

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Evaluates risks that would negatively impact the firm based on analysis

Explains risks but with gaps in evaluating how they would negatively impact the firm

Does not evaluate risks

7

Outlook: Opportunities

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with scholarly examples

Explains opportunities that appeal to potential investors supported by factors that support these opportunities

Explains opportunities that appeal to potential investors but with gaps in addressing factors that support these opportunities

Does not explain opportunities

7

Outlook: Pricing Strategies

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Explains and analyzes pricing strategies that would improve firm profitability

Explains pricing strategy but with gaps in how aspects would improve firm profitability

Does not explain pricing strategies

7

Outlook: Implementation

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Explains how the recommended pricing strategies can be effectively implemented based on market conditions

Explains how the recommended pricing strategies but with gaps in how they can be effectively implemented based on market conditions

Does not explain recommended pricing strategies

7

Outlook: Government Interventions

Meets “Proficient” criteria and qualifies with economic concepts that enrich and extend the claims

Explains how the new venture can leverage government policy to maximize profitability

Explains how the new venture can leverage government policy but it is unclear how aspects would maximize profitability

Does not explain how the new venture can leverage government policy

7

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy to read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

2

Earned Total 100%