23716 - Business Plan

Learning outcomes

This laboratory provides the analytical tools and concepts for effectively preparing a business plan for service organizations. The laboratory examines the objectives and structure of the business plan, including the marketing plan and competitive strategy, the operations, organizational structure and the financial plan of the new service activity. Students will actively participate and be trained to the preparation of business plans.

Course contents

The Strategic Business Plan manifests a comprehensive information function for investors and other target groups, especially in the context of the establishment of a new enterprise, the extension into additional business areas or restructuring. A Strategic Business Plan provides the basis for information concerning return on investment and liquidity within a certain planning horizon. A strategic business plan considers external factors in a dynamic market environment, given its function as a decision-making aid for operative activities, thus considering strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks. In this way strategic goals become decision-making and success parameters. On the basis of case studies the course explores construction and application, as well as limits of strategic and operative entrepreneurship.

Introduction to Business Plan

Business plan for new enterprises, extension into additional business areas or restructuring of established companies

Strategic business plan as a vehicle to navigate dynamic environments

Business Plan and Business plan experiences in manufacturing and service companies

Business plan for international business

Export planning

Discussion of project works

Teaching methods

Lectures, case analysis, team work and project work discussion.

Attendance:

Given that a substantial amount of knowledge will be acquired in class through individual and team discussions, attendance will be considered a crucial issue in this course. If someone needs to be absent in some session, please communicate it in advance to the instructor.

Punctuality:

Problem formulation is made at the beginning of the class. That activity determines and shapes the rest of the class analysis and discussion. So, being late in the session will strongly limit the student’s ability to actively participate and share its thoughts. Furthermore, to leave the class before its end is unacceptable either.

Class Participation:

One of the basic skills of any person in the business world is the ability to communicate his/her ideas in an organized and intelligible fashion. For that reason, class participation becomes a fundamental expected attitude in the students. Highly valued comments and contributions include: focusing in topics not fully discussed yet, sharing different perspectives in the analysis, commenting working experiences related to the cases under study and applying theories from the readings that may help find a solution to the problem.

Assessment methods

class participation and evaluation of project works.

Course grade will be determined using the following structure:

Team written analysis of cases 20%

Individual Class participation 25%

Team Business Plan presentation 25%

Written Business Plan Document 30%

Teaching tools

PC with video projector for power point presentations

Office hours

See the website of German Nicolas Kfuri