23716 - Business Plan

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide students with an integrated framework of theoretical knowledge and practical skills for analyzing, designing, and evaluating entrepreneurial initiatives through the development of comprehensive business plans, from the definition of the business model to the assessment of economic and financial viability and funding needs.

The course examines decision-making tools, competitive analysis techniques, strategic planning methods, and simulation models that can be used to explore different scenarios, support managerial decisions, and assess the sustainability and feasibility of entrepreneurial projects, with particular attention to new ventures and start-ups.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities, analyze competitors, and define the offering system and marketing plan;

• understand the functions of a business plan and prepare all its strategic, operational, economic, and financial components;

• implement simulation models and financial plans, identify and assess different sources of financing for new projects, interpret the main value drivers of new ventures, and apply valuation methods specifically designed for start-ups and innovative initiatives, including through business cases and practical activities.

Course contents

This course draws on the literature on entrepreneurship, strategic management, and innovation to provide a broad and critical understanding of the main issues related to the conceptualization, development, and management of business plans aimed at exploiting potential market opportunities, both in start-up contexts and in established companies.
The course is designed to provide both theoretical and practical insights into effective business planning, covering both qualitative aspects (e.g., value proposition) and quantitative aspects (e.g., financial and economic planning).
By the end of the course, students will have achieved the following learning outcomes and skills:
a) Knowledge and understanding

• Know the contents of an excellent business plan;
• Understand the functions of different types of business planning tools;
• Describe the key concepts and analytical tools used in strategic planning.

b) Applying knowledge and understanding

• Structure and write a business plan;
• Analyze the market and competition;
• Define the value proposition;
• Define the organizational and supply chain configuration;
• Prepare financial and economic forecasts.

c) Making judgements

• Assess the completeness of a business plan;
• Compare and evaluate different possible value propositions;
• Compare and evaluate different organizational and supply chain configurations;
• Assess the financial and economic sustainability of a project.

d) Communication

• Present their evaluation and analysis of ideas and projects, both orally and in writing;
• Present a business idea effectively.

e) Lifelong learning skills

• Develop skills in collecting data on financial, economic, and innovation performance at the company or regional level;
• Improve their skills in the use of digital tools, such as electronic presentation, writing, and calculation tools;
• Present their own contribution and participate in the work of a diverse group.

CONTENTS
The course will cover the following topics:

• Value creation
• Market analysis
• Competitor analysis
• Definition of the organizational and supply chain configuration
• Assessment of revenues, costs, and profitability
• Assessment of the financial structure and economic feasibility
• The lean start-up approach
• Business models and the business model canvas
• Presenting a business idea (pitching)

Detailed information on the contents covered in the course will be provided to students during the course and will be available in the “Introduction” section of the course page on the Virtuale platform.

Readings/Bibliography

ATTENDING STUDENTS

• C. Parolini, Business Planning. Dall’idea al progetto imprenditoriale, Pearson Education, 2020 (3rd edition)
• Lecture slides and additional compulsory teaching materials uploaded to the course online platform (see the syllabus on the “Virtuale” repository for details)

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

• C. Parolini, Pianificazione aziendale. Dall’idea al progetto imprenditoriale, Pearson Education, 2020 (3rd edition)
• Lecture slides and additional compulsory and optional teaching materials uploaded to the course online platform (see the syllabus on the “Virtuale” repository for details)

Teaching methods

The course includes a range of teaching and learning methods:

• Lectures
• Case studies
• Meetings with guest speakers from the business community
• Practical exercises
• Group work

Effective learning during this course requires students’ active participation in class and their engagement in practical activities, carried out partly in class (e.g., case study analysis) and partly at home (e.g., individual assignments and group work). For all activities, students may benefit from the instructor’s supervision.

Students may choose to take the course as “attending students,” in which case they will be required to participate in group work aimed at writing a complete business plan. For this purpose, students will be assigned by the instructor to groups of no more than five students, with the aim of maximizing diversity (e.g., gender, nationality, experience). Alternatively, students may take the course as “non-attending students,” without participating in group work. Assessment methods will differ for the two groups of students in order to take into account the different levels of time and commitment required during the course.

Assessment methods

Assessment methods differ for attending and non-attending students.

NB: the assessment methods described on this page should be considered provisional (July 2026). The specific assessment procedures will be described in greater detail in the “Introduction” section of the course repository on “Virtuale.”

ATTENDING STUDENTS
In line with the course objectives, different assessment methods are used to evaluate students’ achievement of different competencies:

• Group work: student groups will develop a business plan during the course;
• Group presentation: the business plan will be presented at the end of the course by the group during a “pitch competition”;
• Individual participation in group work: each student will submit an individual diary at the end of the course, based on an electronic template provided by the instructor. The diary will include the following elements: a record of group meetings and activities, explaining in detail how the work was organized and distributed among group members; an individual and reasoned assessment of the contribution made by each student to the group work. This individual diary enables a peer assessment of the contribution made by each student to the group work. Each student will receive an individual final participation grade based on the average of the assessments provided by the other group members. Students with documented health-related or personal reasons (e.g., ongoing or recurring illnesses, as demonstrated by medical certificates, or travel abroad, as demonstrated by travel documents) must be assessed solely on the basis of their actual participation in the group work. Each student in the group must receive a reasoned assessment, and the same grade may not be assigned to every member of the group.
• Individual written test: a written test based on open-ended questions concerning the teaching materials will be administered at the end of the course.

The date and location of the examinations and the list of participants are managed through AlmaEsami.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
In line with the course objectives, different assessment methods are used to evaluate students’ achievement of different competencies:

• Individual written and oral examination: at the end of the course, a final examination will be held on the same day and will consist of two parts:
  a) a written test including open-ended and multiple-choice questions on the teaching materials;
  b) an oral presentation: the student will be provided with a company business plan and will be required to give an oral presentation in front of the other students and the instructor.

The date and location of the examinations and the list of participants are managed through AlmaEsami.

For both attending and non-attending students, assessment will take into account the breadth of preparation in relation to the topics covered during the course, as well as the ability to express ideas using appropriate language. Students will pass the examination according to the following performance levels:

• Preparation covering a very limited number of topics addressed during the course and analytical ability emerging only with the instructor’s support, with generally appropriate use of language (grade: 18-19);
• Preparation covering a limited number of topics addressed during the course and the ability to carry out independent analysis only in relation to purely operational issues, with appropriate use of language (grade: 20-24);
• Preparation covering a broad range of topics addressed during the course, the ability to make independent choices involving critical analysis, and command of the relevant specialist terminology (grade: 25-29);
• Substantially comprehensive preparation on the topics addressed during the course, the ability to make independent choices involving critical analysis and connections across topics, full command of the relevant specialist terminology, and the ability to develop arguments and engage in self-reflection (grade: 30-30 cum laude).

With regard to assessment, limited, declared, and non-substantive use of AI is permitted for support activities such as summarizing and rephrasing. Substantive use of AI to complete any part of the assessment is not permitted.

 

Teaching tools

• Slides used during lectures
• Academic journal and newspaper articles, business plans, exercises, and case studies
• Interaction with the instructor, during the classes or during an office hour session, to be requested via email: daniela.bolzani@unibo.it
• Textbook

Office hours

See the website of Daniela Bolzani