***For this course, students adopt the persona of a consultant, researcher or founder of a new venture to address a topic, opportunity or problem of their choice, identif ed and defined collaboratively with instructor input***
Module 1 Deliverable – Students must select their topic and submit an annotated bibliography by the end of Week 2.
Topic selection should clearly identify the organizational or societal need, the means of addressing that need, and any personal experience or involvement
A preliminary annotated bibliography should contain 7-10 sources, each with a brief paragraph describing why that source is valuable and how it contributes to the student’s project
Module 2 Deliverable – Students must submit a literature review – complete with introduction, hypothesis, and synthesis of existing research – by the end of Week 4.
A literature review should include 5-10 pages of seminal and contemporary research on the existing state of affairs. Depending on the nature and scope of a particular project, the following items may or may not be applicable:
Organizational or societal background
History, inflection points, structure, etc.
Common obstacles
Market saturation or competition
Relevant demographic data
Recent research
The problem you are solving for a particular market segment
A hypothesis will synthesize existing research and propose a solution, strategy, or business plan to address the organizational or societal growth opportunity
Module 3 Deliverable – Students must submit their key performance indicators, anticipated timelines for effective impact, and project conclusion by the end of Week 5.
The deliverable should include at least 3 pages of analysis and projections.
Key performance indicators and timelines are necessary to project out scope and trajectory of hypothesized intervention.
What impacts do you see as a consequence of your hypothesized solution? When will you see them? How will you assess the effectiveness of your proposed intervention?
How will your proposed product/service solve the exposed problem?
Final Project – The completed student-directed applied learning project includes a product, service, organizational unit, market sector, innovative process/idea, or resolution to a significant organizational problem. Students demonstrate mastery of their program’s material by formulating recommendations and an associated action plan that incorporates critical analysis, sound business principles, ethical standards, and best practices into their work.
PLEASE CHOOSE ONLY ONE FINAL PROJECT!
The Final Project can be in the form of a White Paper, Business Plan or Hybrid Business Plan due at the end of Week 7.
White Paper (15-20 pages) – an informational document that identifies a significant organizational problem and provides persuasive, factual evidence to formulate recommendations and an associated action plan that promotes a resolution.
Business Plan – The business plan describes the opportunity that you have uncovered and how you will take advantage of that opportunity. It is a form of storytelling that will persuade readers of the feasibility of the idea.
One of the most significant reasons to write a business plan is that it requires you to participate in a laborious and often eye-opening process that is a critical phase before launching a new organization.
You must respond to difficult queries about the nature of the need for the product or service, the intended target customer, your differentiation strategy, how long will it take before you are profitable and realize positive cash flow and how will you fund the beginning stages of growth.
Plan Details:
Opportunity: What need are you solving for which consumer?
What problems are you solving? What is the size of your market? What indicators are you seeing in the external environment that will sustain the growth?
Product/Service: Describe the product or service? What is your unique selling proposition (why would consumers choose your product over the closest competitor)?
Value Proposition: What value are you giving the target customer that others do not provide?
Marketing Strategy: What is your marketing communication strategy and how will you reach your target customer?
Competitive Environment: Who are the main competitors? What core competencies do you possess that others may not?
Management: Why will investors/suppliers/bankers be confident in your ability to be successful in this venture?
Financial: How will you determine projected sales? How long will it take to be profitable? When will the company become cash positive?
Funding: How much cash will you need to fund the startup? And how long will you be able to operate before even making $1 in sales.
Hybrid Business Plan –
This would include the preliminary research to get you to the point of discovering the opportunity (market research) and selecting a number of the components of the business plan as opposed to a full-blown launch plan. We would determine what aspect of the plan you should include after that preliminary research is conducted
EVERYTHING MUST BE FULLY COMPLETED. EACH REQUIREMENT MUST BE CHECKED OFF. THIS IS A FINAL PAPER FOR A GRADUATE BUSINESS PROGRAM
