10 Jan Must be typewritten

Week 1 learning activities

Learning Activity #1

Discuss how creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship are related?

And, do you think creativity can be taught?

Post your response and give a minimum of 2 feedback to your classmates’ postings

Learning Activity #2

Tips for Avoiding Common Startup Mistakes

Watch the video below and summarize in one paragraph 2 of the common start up mistakes and how to avoid them.

Week 2 learning activities

Learning Activity #1

Legal form (i.e sole proprietorship, partnership etc.) is an important aspect to organizational structure. Present a legal form for a venture type and explain your choice. Give example(s) to support your choice and why it is appropriate choice.

Comment on 2 of your classmates’ postings

Learning Activity #2

a. Explain how personal conflict can affect partnership and how conflict can be managed effectively?

b. Watch this video on “Business Structures: How To Choose The Right Legal Structure For Your Business”

Week 3 learning activities

Learning Activity #1

All businesses have to face the uncertainty of market forces. Find a current news story about how a market force is affecting a business and discuss the potential impact, how the business can/is responding and your thoughts on the situation, especially how organizations can effectively manage the risks of market forces and uncertainty. Provide minimum of 2 comments/feedback to your classmates posts.

Learning Activity #2

Please watch the video below and provide your comment.

Using Porter’s 5 Forces to Analyze Your Small Business

Week 4 learning activities

Learning Activity #1

Discuss your understanding of a business plan and why every entrepreneur should create one?

For your chosen/hypothetical venture, name and explain two essential elements (i.e Marketing Strategy, Management Team, Products and Services description etc) that will be presented in your business plan?

Post your response and comment on two of your classmates.

Learning Activity #2

Watch the videos below and provide your comments

1. SBA Business Plan Webinar – Parts 1 through 8

2. The Simple Truths of Service – Differentiation

http://www.stservicemovie.com/

Week 5 learning activities

Startup Financing:

Small business financing is a critical issue in the market today; do some research and help us understand why it is so difficult for entrepreneurs to access the funding they need to start a business.

Share at least one source (current/recent article) that addresses this issue.

Learning Activity #2

VIDEO: 10 Ways to Finance and Start a Business – Brian Tracy

One of the key questions that first-time business owners ask is how to finance a business. Watch this video to learn the 10 best and most common ways to help finance your business, whether it is for a small business or a big company. Provide a 1-2 paragraph summary of the video.

Web link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmyrCLJGTtE

Week 6 learning activities

Learning Activity #1

a. Franchising continues to be a popular choice for individuals to become small business owners. After reviewing the information in this week’s reading and doing some online research, provide a list of at least three pros and three cons to going the franchise route versus starting the same business on your own. Be sure to list any sources you use.

b. Discuss why some Franchisees are successful and other do not?

Learning Activity #2

Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying a Business by Bill Bartmann

Summarize what you learn from the video in a short paragraph?

Week 7 learning activities

Learning Activity #1

The world economy is continuing to transform itself into a mosaic of humanity. New business ventures must consider diversity in all aspects of formation, development and growth. The research on the impact of being deliberate in creating and sustaining a diverse company is pointing to increased impact and performances. Search for a story or research on the diversity and how it relates to entrepreneurship and new venture development. Comment on at least two other classmates’ postings

Learning Activity #2

Discuss what factors an entrepreneur should consider when evaluating a region in which to locate a business? Where are such data available? Post a response and comment on at least one of your classmates post

Week 8 learning activities

Learning Activity #1

Share your thoughts on this course and what you’ve learned, specifically how it might help you in developing your start-up business/growing your existing business. Failure to post this week will result in a zero for participation.

Assignment 1: Informational Interview (Informational Interview

The informational interview involves meeting and interviewing anentrepreneur, business owner, or financial professional to gatherinformation. You should not wait until the due date to prepare, asmeetings may be difficult to arrange at short notice. If your workschedule inhibits such preparation, you may conduct the interview bytelephone or via online/e-mail format.

Required Elements to include in the Informational Interview Write Up:

Students are responsible for developing questions that will garner the

responses necessary to address the key elements of the assignment.

Include all of the following elements in your interview report:

Provide a brief description of the business which includes the

business form the nature of the business, how many years in business,

and whether the business is local in nature, national, or

international in scope;

Why did the person decide to go into business, and what was the

biggest obstacle they had to overcome in the early stages of the

business;

Did the owner develop a Business Plan before starting the business,

why or why not;

Discuss what makes the business unique and different from its

competition and what is its value proposition;

Does the company have a clearly defined strategy, what do you believe it is;

Discuss the owners marketing and sales strategy for gaining and

maintaining new business opportunities;

What core business functions if any did the business decide to

outsource and why;

Discuss the hiring process and the core values that have been

established for the organization;

Discuss the financial management tools and metrics that the business

owner depends on too manage growth and profitability;

Discuss keys to success, from the owner’s perspective;

What the person would do differently if he/she had it to do all over again.

Critically assess the current status of the business based on concepts

presented in class. What would you say is the future for this

business? Would you invest in this business? Why or why not?

Interview questions must be included as an addendum to the assignment;

however, these should not be counted toward the length requirement of

the paper.

Required Formatting of Informational Interview Report:

This report should be double spaced, 12-point font, and three to five

pages in length excluding the title page and reference page;

Title page;

· · Introductory paragraph and a summary paragraph;

· · Use headings;

· · Write in the third person;

· · Use APA formatting for in-text citations and a reference

page. You are expected to paraphrase and not use quotes. Deductions

will be taken when quotes are used and found to be unnecessary;

· · Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder.

Assignment 2: Case Study

SarasSarasvathy’s Full Case Study & Questions

Part 1 of this assignment involves identifying the market for this product. Utilizing the five questions that are provided under Problem 1: Identifying the market as a guide, prepare a 1 page assessment of how you will determine the market for this product and the factors that must be considered in identifying the ideal customer for this product. Based upon the information that you have gathered from this case, discuss what makes this product unique and different.

Part 2 of the assignment involves evaluating the results of the survey for the 3 focus groups that were presented under Problem 2: Defining the market. Prepare a 2 page assessment of the results of the survey. Discuss the key factors that must be considered in determining which customer base the business should target. Discuss the pros and cons of focusing specifically on each of the focus groups as potential customers. Discuss the critical decisions the business must make in the process of determining the focus group that is the best fit for the company in its initial roll-out.

Part 3 of this assignment involves evaluating the competition and making a decision on the business model that the company should choose to bring this product to market. Utilizing the 3 questions that were provided in the Competition section as a guide, prepare a 2 page recommendation on how this productshould be brought to the market. Discuss the factors that were considered in making the final decision.

Required Formatting of Case Study Report:

This report should be double spaced, 12-point font, and three to five pages in length excluding the title page and reference page;

Title page;

Introductory paragraph and a summary paragraph;

Use headings;

Write in the third person;

Use APA formatting for in-text citations and a reference page. You are expected to paraphrase and not use quotes. Deductions will be taken when quotes are used and found to be unnecessary;

ASSIGNMENT 3: PART ONE – BUSINESS PLAN REVIEW

INSTRUCTIONS

Business Plan

The final project requires you to develop a comprehensive business plan. This plan should be a working document on how to establish or acquire and operate a business venture.

Required Elements to include in the Business Plan:

Cover all basic matters, including a description of the business and products/services to be offered, identification of target markets, and analysis of competition. The project will consist of a completed business plan for your real or imaginary business venture. Although there are different types of enterprises, there are commonalities among all. These should be reflected in the following sections:

For Assignment 3 Part One of the Business Plan complete the following items. These items will be included in Assignment 3 Part Two of the complete Business Plan.

Ø introductory letter

Ø executive summary

Ø statement of objectives

Ø background

Ø technical description of product/service

Ø marketing strategy

Ø market data

Ø selling tactics

Grading will be based on content, comprehensiveness, organization, packaging, grammar, mechanics, and timely submission.

You may consult with fellow students, use outside sources, or discuss portions of the project in detail with instructor

The final paper, however, must be your original work.

Required Formatting of Paper:

Must be typewritten and neatly packaged in a form presentable to a financial institution or investor.

As some businesses are more complex, no specified number of pages is required. The key is to ensure that all critical portions of the plan are covered in sufficient detail to portray in-depth thought and effort. Some areas may not apply to all businesses.

Financial statements are important, and you are expected to provide pro forma balance sheets, income statements, break-even analyses, and cash flow projections.

You should decide early in the course what type of business the plan will involve, as high-quality plans cannot be developed in a short time.

You should get an early start to perform the research and to prepare a paper that covers all aspects of a business plan.

Your business plans must be submitted on the date indicated in the course schedule to be eligible for full credit. Plans received after the due date will only be eligible for full credit if the reason for lateness is based on an emergency or otherwise approved by instructor before the due date.

part 2

Business Plan

The final project requires you to develop a comprehensive business plan. This plan should be a working document on how to establish or acquire and operate a business venture.

Required Elements to include in the Business Plan:

Cover all basic matters, including a description of the business and products/services to be offered, identification of target markets, and analysis of competition. The project will consist of a completed business plan for your real or imaginary business venture. Although there are different types of enterprises, there are commonalities among all. These should be reflected in the following sections:

Ø introductory letter

Ø executive summary

Ø statement of objectives

Ø background

Ø technical description of product/service

Ø marketing strategy

Ø market data

Ø selling tactics

Ø operations plan

Ø financial data

Ø management plan

Ø human resources plan

Ø conclusions

Grading will be based on content, comprehensiveness, organization, packaging, grammar, mechanics, and timely submission.

You may consult with fellow students, use outside sources, or discuss portions of the project in detail with instructor

The final paper, however, must be your original work.

Required Formatting of Paper:

Must be typewritten and neatly packaged in a form presentable to a financial institution or investor.

As some businesses are more complex, no specified number of pages is required. The key is to ensure that all critical portions of the plan are covered in sufficient detail to portray in-depth thought and effort. Some areas may not apply to all businesses.

Financial statements are important, and you are expected to provide pro forma balance sheets, income statements, break-even analyses, and cash flow projections.

sYou should decide early in the course what type of business the plan will involve, as high-quality plans cannot be developed in a short time.

You should get an early start to perform the research and to prepare a paper that covers all aspects of a business plan.

Your business plans must be submitted on the date indicated in the course schedule to be eligible for full credit. Plans received after the due date will only be eligible for full credit if the reason for lateness is based on an emergency or otherwise approved by instructor before the due date.