Business Plan Assignment Brief (60%)
Your Business plan should have a contents page, an executive summary, a reference page and appendices
(to include any supporting information).
The word limit is 3000 words excluding a Contents page, Executive Summary, Appendices and a References
page. Please indicate which information is taken from your Opportunity Analysis Report which you have
completed earlier. Use Appendices to include Financial calculations.
NB: Please note that the word limit suggestion for each session is for general guidance only. Should you wish
to include more or fewer words in each session is entirely up to you. All assessment points are equally
weighted, and we advise you to make a full use of appendices. Please note, you will also be assessed on your
use of sources, your writing style and presentation (how well you can communicate your plan to investors,
and whether you have written a convincing proposal).
Contents
- Executive Summary
- Marketing and Sales Plan
- Financial Feasibility
- Operational Plan
- Action Plan
- References and Appendices
NB: One of the strategies to ensure you have included all the points in your report is to paste and copy the
expanded version of your Business plan Template into your document and then include information covering
all relevant points. When you completed your analysis and it is ready for submission, please do not forget to
delete the expanded version of questions as it will be counted towards your word limit and may be
penalised.
Learning Outcomes to be assessed:
The learning outcomes to be addressed through this assignment are:
Knowledge and Understanding
- a) Analyse the critical debates about the role of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in the
delivery of business innovation.
- b) Evaluate the management efficacy of alternative approaches and tools to identifying, selecting
and managing emerging opportunities.
Subject Specific skills
- e) Provide a comprehensively researched and detailed analysis of emerging opportunities within a
specific business sector and show an awareness of the contrasting influences.
Key Skills
- g) Collate, organise, critically evaluate and synthesise evidence and information from a variety of
sources including: academic articles, business reports and case studies.
- h) Solve problems using complex concepts, appropriate tools and arguments leading to creative
solutions and innovative business approaches.
- i) Engage confidently in academic and professional communication with others, reporting on
proposals clearly, autonomously and competently.
Business Plan Template (60%)
NB: this is a template that you could use for Business plan with some points to consider
Please note that the word limit suggestion for each session is for general guidance only. Should you
wish to include more or fewer words in each session is entirely up to you. All sessions are weighted
equally.
Contents
- Executive Summary
- Marketing and Sales Plan
- Financial Feasibility
- Operational Plan
- Action Plan
- References and Appendices
Below is an expanded outline explaining step-by-step what you need to include in each session of
your Business Plan.
NB: One of the strategies to ensure you have included all the points in your report is to paste and
copy the expanded version of your Business Plan Template and then include information covering all
relevant points. Please do not forget to delete the outlined questions when you completed your
analysis and it is ready for submission.
Expanded contents
- Executive Summary (please provide a short, no more than one-page summary of your
business proposal)
- Include the Name and address of business.
- Executive Summary should include Mission and Vision statement and the statement of Aims
and Objectives (Hint: Please provide a short synopsis of the overall business plan. The
Executive Summary in your Business Plan should be reworked considering the feedback from
the Opportunity Analysis’ Executive Summary). Include also an overall description of the
most important aspects of the Business and clearly state the reason why an investor should
invest in your business.
According to the assignment brief, Executive Summary should include the Name and address of
business, Mission and Vision statement and the statement of Aims and Objectives, a short
synopsis of the overall business plan i.e. the most important aspects of the Business and clearly
state the reason why an investor should invest in your business.
- Marketing and Sales Plan (approx. 1000 words)
- A description of the nature of the products and services to be provided and the outline of
the customers and mode of promotion and delivery. (Hint: Please refer to your Opportunity
Analysis Report to include only key information about your market and niche. Do not include
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your detailed analysis of the environment and market you carried out in your Opportunity
Analysis Report)
- Provide a precise description of the key decision-makers (customers) involved in purchasing
the products and services. Outline predicted pattern of demand, i.e. anticipated sales over
the first year, including any anticipated seasonal variations in sales (Hint: Please refer to
sales information in your Opportunity Analysis Report). Provide information about your
pricing policy by outlining of the prices to be charged and how these will be determined.
- Explain how you will reach customers – What is your communication medium to evoke a
response? E.g. paid advertising, press releases, personal contacts, telesales. How will you
maintain intelligence about the market-place, secure sales and generate revenue? Provide an
outline of how potential customers will be informed about the products and services,
attracted to make enquiries and encouraged to make purchases.
- The Business Plan should also indicate how the product/service will be distributed. Does
your plan include an appropriate promotional strategy that is realistic when compared to the
assigned marketing budget?
- Include the name of the key people who will work in the business and an outline of the
knowledge skills and experience they will contribute to the success of the enterprise (Hint:
Please refer to your Opportunity Analysis Report to include the key information about the Key
people and Skills requirement for a new venture. Please incorporate any feedback from your
submission in the Opportunity Analysis Report). Consider areas of skills and knowledge which
are needed in addition to those mentioned above and how these will be dealt with.
- Financial Feasibility (approx. 500 words)
- Include key data on sales and start-up costs (Hint: Please include the Spreadsheet to outline
your main calculations. Please incorporate any feedback from your submission of the
Opportunity Analysis Report and rework your calculations).
- Provide details on how the company will be funded, including any loans or overdrafts that
may be required.
- Include calculations of a start-up’s cash requirements (Hint: Please include the Spreadsheet
with calculations in Appendices. Incorporate any feedback from your submission of the
Opportunity Analysis Report and rework your calculations).
- Include a break-even analysis with reasoning on the outcomes.
- Operational Plan (approx. 1000 words)
- Identify the components of the production process for products and services. Apply Porter’s
Value Chain Model to identify key areas of Value creation.
- Discuss how you will manage quality of your product/service and analyse whether
outsourcing can benefit a new venture.
- Provide an outline of how financial and other quantitative record will be maintained in
management of Information Systems (Hint: See GDPR 2018 regulation which requires
businesses to protect the personal data and privacy of EU citizens for transactions that occur
within EU member states).
- Action Plan (approx. 500 words)
- Provide key milestones of the new venture creation and include dates intended for fresh
initiatives to be taken based on the plan; the key decision/actions that need to be taken; and
any instance where more information is required and how this will be obtained (Hint:
Examples of key initiatives may include Vertical and Horizontal integration or creation of a
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Strategic Alliance – see Growth strategies, or selling the business – see discussion on Harvest
and Exit etc.).
- References and Appendices – Please include any appendices, spreadsheets to support your
proposal, and include a separate page with references.