Entrepreneurial Business Plan (Option B)

In this project, you will imagine yourself as an entrepreneur establishing a business after graduation. You will prepare a focused and creative entrepreneurial business plan for your enterprise.
As you come up with your business plan, try to identify real problemsin society,create innovative solutions and commercialise those solutions to a target market.

You can create a café, a restaurant, a consulting/training company, a technology company, a social media company and what not. The sky is the limit! Try to demonstrate creativity, insight, reflection, and depth. Innovation, integration, and synthesis are critical. Use your best creative skills and talents. What are you really curious and passionate about?

You business plan should have the following sections (each of these should be very focused/brief): 

1. Executive summary: Summarize your business idea as an elevator pitch. Where is your unique value proposition?
2. Business description: What is your core or your "secret sauce" which is not easily duplicated? How do you define your sustainable competitive advantage?
3. Your product /service: How do you design and build your product or service? How do you develop the idea, technology and passion necessary to get started?
4. Market analysis: What about the competition in the market? How do you differentiate your business in this market?
5. Marketing plan: Who are your customers? (A profile of your targeted customer) How do your customers access/reach your product or service? What is the process for acquiring a targeted customer?
6. Financial/operational plan: What metrics need to be put into place to determine if your product/service is successful (or not) early in the process? How do you make money? How do you scale to widen and diversify the revenue stream?
7. Creative advertisement/poster: Create an A4 poster for your business; which will be your advertisement.
o The applicable word limit for the written part of this assignment is 1500 words. Please feel free to use tables, figures, and visuals as these do not count towards the word count. 

This is what a former student of a similar class brought to life, in another part of the world:

SEVEN I Project

In this project, try to summarize and integrate what you have learned in this module creatively and insightfully. Do this in a creative and personalized way that makes sense to you. Be creative and consider alternative innovative formats! Use your best creative skills and talents. Think out of the box! You can create a reflection blog, an art work, a visual model, a story, a concept map, a web page, a YouTube video, a song, a journal, a book draft and outline, a multimedia CD, and what not. The sky is the limit!
Try to demonstrate creativity, insight, reflection, and depth. Innovation, integration, and synthesis are critical. Use your best creative skills and talents. What are you really curious and passionate about?

Still not clear? 
Here are some of the sample artwork or projects or alternative ideas from past students:
o A fun video summarizing what you have learned here, the spirit and essence of the class
o A cutting edge training program on how to use web 2.0 tools (such as Facebook, Second Life, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram etc.) to develop professional business skills such as networking and collaboration
o The best 10 videos on YouTube showcasing global leadership or demonstrating global insights o Gift boxes and exhibits uniquely designed that include course material, drafts, thoughts, visuals, models, cards, and flowers o A toolkit for our class called: “The Survival Book: What it is to be a Global Leader in the 21st Century”
o Act as our citizen journalist in your city: Follow up, report or video-tape, and share ongoing cross-cultural
activities, organizations, arts events, festivals, conferences in this city.
o A “Thinking-out-of-the-box” game including learning cards and coloured sketches synthesizing course
concepts

SKY IS THE LIMIT!

Prospectus: 
What you need to keep in mind that your project should always have the following sections (each of these should be very focused/brief):

1. Executive summary: Summarize your artwork as an elevator pitch. How does this work represent and document your learning and skill development in this module?
   
2. The artwork: Make sure that you capture your artwork through photographs or Internet links; and clearly attach these to your appendix. It should be very easy for the graders to access your work online – make their job easier, not harder!
   
3. Description and the process of creation: Why and how did you come up with this work? How did you design and build this work? Why is this work original and unique? How does it connect to the learning objectives and skills of this module?
   
4. Explanation and evidence of learning and skill development: Make sure you describe your artwork clearly and make sure you connect it rigorously with the learning outcomes and skills you have mastered in this module. Explain how this work constitutes evidence of your learning and skill development.
   
5. Significance and utility of this work: Where is your contribution? How does this work connect to your personal branding? How does it connect to your career goals and passions? How can you use this work for
   
   your future career?
6. Creative advertisement/poster: Create an A4 poster for your artwork; which will be an advertisement that will position and market this work for relevant stakeholders.

The applicable word limit for the written part of this assignment is 1500 words. Please feel free to use concept maps, figures, and visuals as these do not count towards the word count. 

Dr. Fahri Karakas

FAQ on Coursework

Q: What matters the most? A: "Thinking outside the box"

Here are responses to your frequently asked questions about this project and your submissions:

1) Can I apply to an entry level job or a grad scheme?

Of course you can. You are expected to prepare a realistic job application where you can demonstrate fit between your experiences, knowledge, skills and the job requirements. This means you need to think about entry level jobs.

2) Can I use my real name and contact info on my CV?

Please try to make your application anonymous. You can change your real name/contact info.

3) In which format should I submit my project?

Please combine and consolidate everything into a word or pdf file and submit as an entire file.

4) Can I submit multiple files; such as ppt and word?

No. Please consolidate everything into one whole file - a word file or a pdf file. You can add pictures, tables, or ppt slides into the appendix section of such a file.

5) I have prepared a video. How should I submit it?

Please include/write down the video link in your project file. You can also send the video link electronically to F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk in an email to make it easier for us to access your video/link.

6) How should we submit this work?

Follow the standard procedures that you follow in other coursework. Include the cover page. Make sure you submit through eVision. Do not leave submissions to last hours; but submit early to resolve potential problems.

7) Can I get feedback and make sure that I am on the right track?

Yes, of course. You can drop by Thomas Paine 1.24 or send email to F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk

8) I have prepared Powerpoint slides. How will I submit them?

Please add them digitally to the appendix section of your word file. You can submit your work in a whole word or pdf file after you attach/include everything.

9) My word or pdf file is too big - I cannot submit it.

Please do not exceed the megabyte limits imposed by the Hub. If you have too many high resolution pictures/videos etc, then please upload these into an Internet repository and provide the link; so that we can easily access the link. Please send this Internet link to F.Karakas@uea.ac.uk as well.

10) What does the word limit (1500 words) include?

It includes your CV, Cover Letter, and description of your visual appendix/evidence. It does not include poster, visual appendix/evidence, tables or job advertisement.

11) Should I apply for a real job or an imaginary one?

Please apply for a real job. Please make sure you attach the job advertisement of this job as an appendix.  This should be an entry level job, such as a graduate scheme or an internship.

12) Should I include the job advertisement? Is it necessary?

Yes, you should attach it as an appendix (it will not be counted towards the word limit). It is necessary; because you will be evaluated on the basis of how you customized for this company and for this job.

13) What should I include in this coursework?

Your updated/customized CV and Cover Letter, the job advertisement you are applying for, poster (creative CV or mood board or concept map), and visual appendix (evidence) with explanation.

14) What can be included in the Visual Appendix/Evidence?

It is up to you how to design/do this. The significant point is to demonstrate your engagement with the materials, readings, resources, seminars, and lectures of this module. One way to do this would be to include your Top 10 Skills Evidence Table and your Personal and Professional Development Plan as part of your Visual Appendix/Evidence.

15) What is included in the Poster?

You can prepare a Creative CV (please see slides for examples - you can also Google Image search 'Creative CV'). Or you can also create a Mood Board (Please see Lecture slides). Or you can include a concept map/artwork that represents your personal brand, your learning, and/or your skills.

16) What is your important advice to get good grades from this coursework?

The first critical success factor here is to come up with the creative and customized job application that will differentiate you from hundreds of other applicants. 

Remember: These two are always what matters in real life!

Make sure you demonstrate the perfect fit between job requirements and your knowledge, skills, and experiences.

The second critical success factor is how you demonstrate your learning and skill development in this module. Make sure you incorporate evidence of your engagement with this module: You are responsible for reading your textbook chapters, going over lecture and seminar materials/slides, and going over the readings and resources added on this Blackboard site. The more you include evidence of your learning and engagement with these, the better your job portfolio will look like.

Please also make sure to include some reflections on what we did this semester. If you have not come to the lectures/seminars and participated in all the activities/exercises, it will be more difficult for you do this - but this is an integral part of your evidence.

I wish you best of luck in your projects!

Sincerely;

Fahri

Dr Fahri Karakas