In groups of 4, assess a small business plan for financing using content from throughout the course.
Based on your assessments, produce a final paper, including the following information.
Title Page
A title page should be included that details the name of the project, group members, class, instructor, and date.
Executive Summary
The executive summary section should be written last, once you have completed your paper. This section should present a summary (1 page or less) of the main recommendations of the paper. Think of it as a way for a bank executive to quickly read and understand your entire paper.
Company Analysis
Company Summary
Describe the form of ownership for the business. Critique whether the form of ownership is appropriate. If it is not appropriate, make recommendations for an appropriate form of ownership.
Analyze the owners, their financial situation, and their experience.
Critique the company’s goals and objectives to determine if they are realistic.
Describe the stage of business growth that the business is in, and the challenges and opportunities that may arise in this stage.
Market & Competitive Analysis
Describe the industry of the company. Describe the risk of lending to a company in this industry.
Complete an analysis on the current factors/trends that affect the small business.
Discuss the competitive environment. In your opinion, will the business be successful in this environment?
Critique the company’s SWOT analysis to determine if it is accurate and realistic.
Discuss the target market. Based on your research, is the target market selection effective? Is the target market large enough? Will they be a profitable segment to serve?
Sales & Marketing
Critique the marketing mix for the company. Are strategies for product, price, place, and promotion well thought out and effective for the company? Is there a clear point of differentiation? Suggest improvements as needed.
Operations
Identify any legal issues that may arise for the company. Identify whether the company has addressed insurance risk. Critique the company’s HR strategy.
Financial Analysis
Identify the financial statements for the company. In your discussion, describe which financial statements were included in the business plan, and whether any statements were omitted. Describe what you can learn from each of the financial statements.
Calculate inventory turnover ratios and collection period ratios. Calculate the length of the operating cycle. Conduct an analysis, comparing to others in industry and previous years (if applicable).
Review the startup costs for the company. Suggest revisions/additions to the start up costs. Describe the operating costs. Describe fixed and variable costs.
In your analysis, discuss whether the company has adequately planned for start up costs, whether the projections for the company are realistic, and if the company has enough cash to cover unexpected expenses.
Financing Recommendations
Based on your analysis from the previous sections, make specific recommendations for the types of financing that the business should pursue. You should justify your recommendations using course content and external resources.
