Matziorinis Course Outline [1993] Social Science Ensemble II STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP 401-BXS-03 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT BUSINESS PLAN due latest Wednesday, May 13 by 11:59 pm via MIO...

Business description:

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  ● Oportus Inc., located in Montreal.
  

  
  


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  ● Oportus Inc is a company that walks dogs.
  

  
  


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  ● We will be targeting dog owners who are incapable of tending to their dogs needs due
  

  
  

  to various personal reasons.
  

  
  


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  ● This company belongs to the lifestyle industry.
  

  
  


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  ● The general competitor is another company called Rover, which is the #1 pet sitting,and dog walking app--for the moment!

  
  

Matziorinis Course Outline [1993] Social Science Ensemble II STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP 401-BXS-03 SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT BUSINESS PLAN due latest Wednesday, May 13 by 11:59 pm via MIO The teacher will confirm that the student’s plan was well received via a return MIO – students must ensure to have received this MIO and follow up with the teacher. DESCRIPTION Individually, students are required to prepare a condensed business plan on a business of their choice which must have been approved by the teacher. You are not expected to actually start the business, but you must pretend that you will. You cannot however pretend that you would be qualified to be a brain surgeon, someday maybe, but not yet. Chapter 4 of the textbook covers the business plan in detail. There are sample plans in Appendix 4B. EVALUATION The Business Plan is worth 50% of the final grade (see next page for a detailed breakdown) and given that the Business Plan is a Summative Assessment, students MUST pass it with at least a 60% (30 on 50) in order to pass the course. Failure to pass the Business Plan will result in a final grade of 50%. Late plans will be penalized 10% a day (a weekend is considered one day). The plan should be 10 pages single-spaced and will be evaluated on the following: - Accuracy of the information provided - Depth and thoroughness of the analysis/research - Use of concepts and terminology - Clarity and conciseness of writing - Creativity and professionalism of the paper - Literacy (grammar, spelling and general flow) Note that the Marketing Approach, Financing and Assess the Risk sections (explained on the backside) carry a significant portion of the total marks for the plan – they are very important – do these sections well. Remember this is a business paper, not an English essay – there is no need to have transition words between paragraphs or ideas. Also, it is not good to use synonyms – in a business paper it is always best, for clarity, to use the same term over and over. RESEARCH Try to collect as much Primary Data as possible (for example: if tutoring, access information of your local high school for data or if you are cutting lawns, estimate the number of houses in your area). For Secondary Data, the Statistics Canada (statcan.qc.ca) website has a large collection of data. It is a government organization that collects data on a national level that can be applied to the area where you plan on opening your business. You can also try the Town Hall (go to the website for the Town Hall in the area where you plan on starting the business – for information like the # of registered dogs in the area, if your business is dog walking, for example or the # of cats, if you plan on cat-sitting). CONTENT (50 marks) The plan must contain all the following components (use each bold item as a heading). Cover Page (1 mark) On the cover page include at least your company name, your name and student id. Table of Contents (1 mark) Prepare a well formatted table of contents (on one separate page) with page numbers. Executive Summary (2 marks) Prepare a summary of the entire plan (on ONE separate page). This summary should cover key elements of the plan. Management Team (3 marks) Describe the management team (you are the management team). Use relevant personality traits, skills and experiences to describe yourself in the role of management (not as an employee). Business Objectives (3 marks – 1 mark each) Present three objectives for the business – make sure they are measurable with a time deadline. Marketing Approach (15 marks) The marketing approach should contain the following elements: Target Market (6 marks) Thoroughly describe your target market – use 4 demographic and 2 psychographic factors. Uncontrollable Factors (5 marks – 1 mark each) Describe each factor and its impact on the business. Legislative, Economic, Competitive, Social/Cultural, Technological Factors The Marketing Mix (4 marks - 1 mark each) Product: Thoroughly describe the product (a good or service) that you will be selling. Price: Explain the pricing. Place: Where will your product be made available (also referred to as Distribution). Promotion: How will you promote your product. Location and Physical Facilities (2 marks) Describe where your office will be located. Present the layout and equipment it will contain. Financing (8 marks) Describe how the business will be financed. (1 mark) List all the one-time start-up costs. (1 mark) Calculate the Market Potential (1 mark) and your Market Share (1 mark) Present an income statement showing revenues minus expenses (operating costs) resulting in a net income (or net loss). (2 marks) Provide an income statement for the 2nd & 3rd years (project revenues and expenses). (1 mark each) Personnel (2 marks) Describe the personnel (you will probably be the only employee). Present relevant policies. Legal Requirements (3 marks) Describe the legal form of your business and the costs associated with it. Also present any laws or regulations governing your industry. Assess the Risk (5 marks) Using Michael Porter’s Forces Model (see textbook for description) – assess business’ risk factors. Bibliography (2 marks) The last page (on one separate page) should be a bibliography where you list (no special format required) all the sources used to prepare your plan. Throughout the plan include: Primary Data (2 marks) – collect and present primary data Secondary Data (1 mark) – present relevant secondary data