Week 1 Discussion
“Company Description”
Throughout this course, you will develop a series of written
papers / projects that you will later combine into a complete business plan for
a Non-Alcoholic Beverage company. For this discussion, you must first review
the “NAB Company Portfolio”. The mentioned
portfolio contains the company parameters and details you must follow when
developing your company. Provide the following information to set the
foundation for your non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) business plan.
Please respond to the following:
Create your NAB company name and explain its significance.
Develop your company’s Mission Statement and provide a
rationale for its components.
Week 2 Discussion
“Growing Honest Tea” Please respond to the following:
Review the following documents:
Honest Tea’s business plan for 1999 (PDF).
A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)
analysis based on Honest Teas’ business plan (PDF).
Suppose Honest Tea has hired you as a consultant to evaluate
the completeness of their strategy for future growth. Base your evaluation on
the provided SWOT analysis. Provide a rationale for your response.
Week 3 Discussion
“Don’t Miss the Mark” Please respond to the following:
Watch the following videos:
There are two (2) very different target markets and sales
forces discussed in the videos. Identify some of the key differences between
the organizations’ sales forces and target markets. Explain the value of
developing a sales force based on the target market. Use examples from each
video to support your response.
Week 4 Discussion
“A Rotten Apple?”
Please respond to the following:
Watch the following 2013 Bloomberg’s video:
Based on the video, fast forward to current day and give
your opinion on whether or not Apple’s product strategy should change given its
current rate of success and potential competing companies (i.e. Samsung, etc.)
operating within their market. Provide a rationale for your response.
For reference, review the supplemental article titled,
“Competitve Strategy”, which discusses Michael Porter’s Five Forces.
Week 5 Discussion
“Smooth Operator” Please respond to the following:
Elaborate your own definition of production operations
management, including manufacturing and service operations. Then, assess the
implication of technology in your definition. Lastly, appraise the impact of
your previous responses to your Operations, Technology, and Management Plan
development.
Week 6 Discussion
“Thirsty for the Triple Bottom Line” Please respond to the following:
Watch the following videos:
Evaluate Seth Goldman’s leadership performance on the
concept of the “Triple Bottom Line” using at least two (2) examples from both
resources (at least four [4] total examples) to support your evaluation.
Week 7 Discussion: The Financials Attachment
Important Notes
This exercise is considered an academic writing exercise.
Quality of response, grammar, and punctuation are considered in your overall
grade.
This exercise does not require the use of APA format or a
cover page.
This exercise uses the “Business Plan Financials” MS Excel
template. Use the “Business Plan Financials Guide” to assist you in completing
the required worksheets. (Both documents are also available in the Course
Required Files in Week 1.)
It is recommended that students construct their
deliverable(s) using MS Word / MS Excel and then attach the document(s) to the
discussion thread submission area in Blackboard.
Use the “NAB Company Portfolio” (see: Course Required Files
in Week 1) for reference. Provide the following information below.
For year one of your NAB company’s Business Plan, complete
the Income Statement, Cash Flow Projections, and Balance Sheet sections from
the “Business Plan Financials” MS Excel template (see: Course Required Files in
Week 1). Note: Attach the MS Excel worksheet to the discussion thread.
Hints: Your marketing costs should already be included as
you created your Marketing Budget in Week 4 and those will be filled in
automatically.
Hints: Use the figures you arrived at in the operations and
technology sections of your plan to help fill out your financial forms.
Hints: Work through the worksheets in order. The excel
worksheets will automatically enter the numbers into your Income Statement.
Develop the following financial sections of your NAB
company’s Business Plan. Note: Attach the MS Word document to the discussion
thread.
Sources and use of funds
Plan assumptions
Break-even analysis
Provide constructive feedback to at least one (1)
classmate’s post.
Week 8 Discussion
“Mission Possible”
Please respond to the following:
Describe how an organization’s mission statement and values
are supported by specific aspects in the marketing, operations, technology,
management, and social responsibility sections of a business plan.
In a real life situation, feedback from your business plan
development team can be extremely valuable. Explain the value of receiving
feedback from your ‘team’ (your instructor and fellow students) on the various
sections of your non-alcoholic beverage (NAB) business plan while you work
towards making necessary revisions.
Week 9 Discussion
“Pitch Perfect”
Please respond to the following:
Watch the following Lynda.com videos from the video serious
Giving Your Elevetor Pitch with Todd Dewett:
“Benefits to an Elevator Pitch” (2 min 01 s)
“Making an Initial connection” (2 min 43 s)
“Structuring your Pitch” (3 min 57 s)
Then, rank the following factors in order of importance when
developing an elevator speech, and provide a rationale for your response.
Speech is confident, not arrogant
Use of positive and compelling words
Short in duration
General to the industry in question
Specific to the company’s mission and company’s values
Week 10 Discussion
“I Have a Plan”
Please respond to the following:
Per the text, planning isn’t just what you do to go into
business; it’s what you have to do to stay in business. Speculate on the
planning mechanism(s) that you believe would work well for your NAB business if
implemented properly. Provide a rationale for your response.
Week 11 Discussion
“Stronger Than Yesterday” Please respond to the following:
Suppose you were invited to join a team in charge of
developing an organization’s Business Plan. Explain the strengths that you
personally would bring to the team. Provide a rationale for your response.
Assignment 1: Company Description and SWOT Analysis
Due Week 3 and worth 100 points
In this assignment, you will conduct a SWOT (Strength,
Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis for the type of beverage you have
selected, and for your company overall. As you work on the assignment, consider
why you have chosen one type of non-alcoholic beverage over another and the
reasons for that choice. As you complete your SWOT analysis, be sure to include
external factors such as industry / market trends and competition, and internal
factors such as your capabilities or abilities to reach certain market
segments.
Write a three to five (3-5) page paper, in which you:
Create your revised NAB company name and explain its
significance.
Develop your revised company’s Mission Statement and provide
a rationale for its components.
Hints: Use the Statement of Mission template on pp. 72-73 on
the course textbook: Successful Business Plan to aid your development. Click
here for help accessing a specific page number in your eBook.
Extracting appropriate information from the NAB company
portfolio, where applicable. You should fill in other required items in the
template using your personal preferences.
Describe the trends in the non-alcoholic beverage industry,
especially the specific type of beverage category you have chosen. Justify at
least three (3) reasons why you have chosen this type of non-alcoholic
beverage.
Hints: Research and outline beverage industry trends.
Consider the size and growth rate of the industry overall and the specific
beverage type you have chosen. Use the worksheet in the course text (p. 88 |
Past and Future Growth of Your Industry) to help you project the future growth
rate. Consider the use of industry associations and search engines to find
reliable, recent data.
Choose one (1) strategic position from the course text (pp.
142–143) that you believe is the best strategic position for your company.
Explain the approach you will use to implement this strategic position in order
to distinguish your beverage from other non-alcoholic beverages.
Provide an overview of your company’s distribution channels.
Explain the manner in which your product will reach end users. Provide a
rationale for your chosen method.
Hints: For example, will you sell your beverage in grocery
stores, restaurants, or sports venues? If so, describe the types of resellers
and distributors who will sell to resellers and fulfill their orders. If you
are attempting to sell direct-to-consumers, such as online via a monthly
subscription, how will you manage warehousing / fulfillment / shipping?
Outline at least three (3) types of risks (including any
regulatory risks) that your business faces. Describe your company’s plan to
mitigate such risk.
Hints: You may refer to the types of risk listed in the
course text (pp. 148–149) as well as any risks not listed in the text. Regulation
weighs more heavily on beverage and food businesses than many other types of
companies, so be certain to consider any regulatory risks your type of beverage
faces. For example, what kind of regulation and / or risks are you likely to
face if you make health claims about your beverage?
Develop a SWOT analysis for your NAB company using the SWOT
matrix worksheet in the course text (p. 153 | SWOT: Strengths / Weaknesses /
Opportunities / Threats)
Hints: What are your company’s likely strengths? Have you chosen
a beverage segment that is growing and lacks an entrenched competitor? Are you
in a niche market that has great potential? What are the strengths that you and
other team members bring to your company? Do you or other team members have
previous experience in the food and beverage industry?
Hints: What are your company’s likely weaknesses? Is the
competition in your industry segment entrenched? Is your own management team
inexperienced? Will it be challenging to actually produce your product and
maintain quality?
Hints: What are your company’s opportunities? Does your
segment have more demand than supply? Have larger corporations stopped serving
smaller or niche markets that you could enter? Is a new market emerging because
of demographics, immigration, changing tastes?
Hints: What are your company’s threats? Is there a clear
market leader that will be hard and expensive to displace? Are downward-pricing
pressures in the segment making profit margins slim? Are there little or no
barriers-to-entry for new competitors; if you have a novel idea that succeeds,
can the competition easily enter your market? If you have a global aspect to
your company, do factors such as currency fluctuations, political instability,
offshoring or outsourcing pose threats?
Format your assignment according to these formatting
requirements:
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size
12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or
school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment,
the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The
cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise.
Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the
exercise.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this
assignment are:
Analyze the role of a company mission, vision, and objectives
and the impact to business strategy.
Describe strategic planning techniques used to formulate
alternative strategies designed to achieve stated business goals.
Analyze the external and internal environment for
opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses that impact the firm’s
competitiveness.
Use technology and information resources to research issues
in strategic management.
Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using
proper writing mechanics.
Assignment 2: Marketing Plan
Due Week 6 and worth 100 points
This assignment consists of two (2) sections: a marketing
plan and sales strategy, and a marketing budget. Note: You must submit both
sections as separate files for the completion of this assignment.
For the first six (6) months your company is in business—to
give you time to perfect your product and to learn from actual customers—you
will start marketing and selling in your own community, a radius of twenty-five
(25) miles from where you live.
For most non-alcoholic beverages, marketing (as opposed to
the actual product itself) is key to success. Cola drinks, for example, are
fairly undifferentiated, as are many energy drinks, juices, bottled water, and
the like. Companies producing these types of beverages differentiate themselves
and attract market share through marketing and brand awareness—both of which
are critical to success.
Section 1: Marketing Plan & Sales Strategy (MS Word or
equivalent)
Write the three to five (3-5) page Marketing Plan &
Sales Strategy section of your business plan, in which you:
Define your company’s target market.
Analyze the types of consumers who will be drinking your
beverage in demographic terms (i.e., age, education level, income, gender,
ethnic group, etc.). Support your analysis with actual data on the size of the
demographic groups in your local community (nearby zip codes).
Outline the demographic information for your company
specified on the worksheet in the course text (p. 107 | Demographic
Description). Click here for help accessing a specific page number in your
eBook.
Hints: At American FactFinder (http://census.gov), you will
find demographic information on potential consumers in your area. If you are
selling through other businesses (such as grocery stores), indicate the number of
those businesses in your local area. You will find information about such
businesses in your local area at County Business Patterns
(http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/). Check Chapter 2 of Successful Business Plan
for more research sources.
Assess your company’s market competition.
Use the factors listed in the course text graphic (p. 123 |
Assess the Competition) to assess your company’s market competition.
Defend your strategy to successfully compete against market
leaders in your segment.
Hints: For example, in the soft drink market, it is
intimidating to try to compete against Coke and Pepsi. Newcomers in mature
markets typically must pursue niche markets or even create new market
categories, as Red Bull did with energy drinks.
Defend your plan to differentiate yourself from the
competition using the information detailed on the worksheet in the text (p. 131
| Market Share Distribution).
Hints: Every business faces competition and the
non-alcoholic beverage market is an especially crowded market.
Clarify your company’s message using the information
provided on the worksheet in the text (p. 160 | The Five F’s).
Hints: Before you choose your marketing vehicles, you must
determine the message you want to convey through those vehicles.
Identify the marketing vehicles you plan to use to build
your company’s brand. Justify the key reasons why they will be effective.
Provide examples of other non-alcoholic beverage companies that use these
tactics effectively.
Hints: If you plan to use online marketing tactics, refer to
the worksheet in the text (p.171 | Online Marketing Tactics) to aid your
response. Remember that even if you’re selling through grocery stores you need
to build your brand and social media is a major part of that in regard to
beverages. Some of the marketing tactics that beverage companies use include:
sampling in grocery stores, building a following on social media, sponsoring
events, exhibiting at trade shows attended by retailers, and so on. You will
use a combination of these tactics. For example, if you decide to give out
samples in grocery stores, promote your sampling on your social media networks
and those of the grocery store.
Hints: If you are planning to distribute through resellers,
describe how you plan to reach them, for example, through industry trade shows
or by establishing your own sales force. For information on trade shows, visit
the Trade Show News Network (http://www.tsnn.com). You can exhibit or network
at these shows.
Format your assignment according to these formatting
requirements:
Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise.
Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the
exercise.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size
12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or
school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment,
the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The
cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
Section 2: Marketing Budget (MS Excel worksheets template)
Section 2 uses the “Business Plan Financials” MS Excel
template (see: Course Required Files in Week 1). Use the “Business Plan
Financials Guide” (see: Course Required Files in Week 1) to support your development
of the Marketing Budget.
Complete the Marketing Budget worksheet for your company.
Hints: The goal of the marketing budget is to help you
determine how much it will cost you to reach your market and achieve your sales
goals.
Hints: When filling out the “Marketing Budget” worksheet in
the Excel spreadsheet:
Begin in the current year and complete a marketing budget
for the first year of your business. The information you enter in the marketing
budget spreadsheet will flow through to your “Income Statement” in the Business
Plan Financials.
Leave the number at zero (0) for any marketing vehicles you
do not intend to use.
Remember that all marketing activities involve costs. If
social media represents a significant portion of your marketing, assume you
will have cost of advertising and that should be reflected on your budget. Even
if a social media site charges nothing to use it, you will need to use company
resources to manage the site, pay someone to execute your social media
marketing campaigns, and will most likely pay for ads on that site.
Do NOT leave the “Marketing Budget” blank, assuming you will
not have any marketing costs.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this
assignment are:
Recommend effective business strategies based on an analysis
of domestic and global operating environments, market dynamics, and internal
capabilities.
Analyze competitive positions including foreign market entry
and the resulting impact on business strategy.
Use technology and information resources to research issues
in strategic management.
Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using
proper writing mechanics.
Assignment 3 Part 1: Operation, Technology, and Management
Plan
Due Week 8 and worth 70 points
Use the “NAB Company Portfolio”.
Write a three to six (3-6) page paper in which you provide the
following information below.
Operations Plan (1 – 2 pages)
Note: Remember to assign a dollar amount to each operational
cost you find, as you will need these figures for your income statement and
cash flow in Week 8.
Create an operations plan for your NAB company using the
template in the text as a guide (p. 214 | Operations Plan Preparation Form –
Click here for help accessing a specific page number in your eBook). Extract
appropriate information from the NAB Company portfolio, where applicable. Other
required items in the template should be filled in using your personal
preferences.
Provide a rationale for the competitive advantages section
using appropriate functional-level and business-level strategies to explain the
competitive advantages.
Note: Much of the research pertaining to the hints provided
here can be found in the NAB company portfolio.
Hints: Consider whether you will rent or buy your facilities
or outsource production to an existing company.
Hints: One of your biggest expenses as a startup
non-alcoholic beverage company will be transitioning from a small batch
prototype of your beverage to production on a large scale. Research the
equipment you will need (vats, refrigerators, burners, ovens, bottling equipment,
and so on), whether you will rent or buy, how you will maintain and clean it,
and so forth. Consider how you will ensure quality control. What capacity do
you intend to reach?
Hints: Deliberate your inventory control. Where do your
supplies come from and what is your turnaround time to produce your beverage
once you have received an order?
Hints: Consider your distribution method. Refer back to your
notes for the SWOT analysis assignment in Week 2 of class.
Hints: How will you stay abreast of new developments in your
industry? What new products do you have in development now, in addition to your
flagship product?
Describe your research and development activities and
explain how they will contribute to the company.
Technology Plan (1 – 2 pages)
Create a technology plan for your NAB company using the
template in the text as a guide (p. 227 | Technology Plan Preparation Form ).
Extract appropriate information from the NAB Company portfolio, where
applicable. Other required items in the template should be filled in using your
personal preferences.
Provide a rationale for the personnel needs section by
incorporating appropriate functional-level strategies.
Hints: Consider the type of technology your company will use
to conduct the following activities: manage personnel; take, fulfill, and track
orders; manage inventory; communicate with customers and provide customer
service; and produce your beverage.
Management & Organization (1 – 2 pages)
Create a management plan for your NAB company using the
template in the text as a guide (p. 248 | Management Plan Preparation Form ).
Extract appropriate information from the NAB Company portfolio, where
applicable. Other required items in the template should be filled in using your
personal preferences.
Using the flow charts on p. 242 as a guide, outline your
company’s management hierarchy. Note: Charts or diagrams must be imported /
included in the MS Word document.
Provide a rationale for the management structure and style
section by incorporating appropriate functional-level strategies.
Format your assignment according to these formatting
requirements:
Cite the resources you have used to complete this exercise.
Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the
exercise.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size
12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or
school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment,
the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The
cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this
assignment are:
Create a plan to implement a firm’s strategy and manage the
change from current operations.
Describe strategic planning techniques used to formulate
alternative strategies designed to achieve stated business goals.
Use technology and information resources to research issues
in strategic management.
Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using
proper writing mechanics.
Assignment 3 Part 2: Business Plan – Draft
Due Week 8 and worth 30 points
This assignment consists of two (2) sections: a draft of
your business plan and an income statement containing your business plan
financials (i.e. Week 7 Discussion “The Financials”). Note: You must
submit both sections as separate files for the completion of this assignment.
You must intend to raise money for your startup company. You
can start with money from friends and family but at some point you will need
funds from outside investors, either angels or venture capitalists, depending
on how much money you project you will need to raise. Another possible angle is
to develop money through crowdfunding, assuming your product meets the demand
of such audiences.
Before you can raise money, you must develop a business plan
that convinces an investor that your company will succeed.
Section 1: Business Plan (MS Word or equivalent)
Read Chapters 18 and 19 of the course text: Successful
Business Plan. Use the Plan Preparation Forms at the end of each chapter of
Successful Business Plan as a rough guide.
Write an approximately fifteen to twenty (15-20) page draft
of your business plan in which you:
Revise the components of the following previously submitted
sections based on the feedback you have received.
Company Description (Assignment 1)
Industry Analysis and Trends (Assignment 1)
Strategic Position & Risk Assessment (Assignment 1)
Target Market (Assignment 2)
Competition (Assignment 2)
Marketing Plan & Sales Strategy (Assignment 2)
Create an Ethics & Social Responsibility Plan.
Note: The Ethics & Social Responsibility plan should
account for approximately three to five (3-5) pages of the Business Plan Draft.
Describe the ways in which your company is committed to
being a good corporate citizen.
Hints: Consider the following areas:
Creating jobs
Following the laws of every jurisdiction in which your
company operates
Fair and honest treatment of employees
Non-discrimination of employees and increasing diversity of
your work force
Hints: If your company is designed as a social venture—in
which you have a primary purpose of achieving a social or environmental
goal—describe what that goal is and what aspects of your company are designed
to reach that goal. Provide a rationale for why you have or why you have not
chosen this to be a social venture.
Discuss how your company’s activities will affect the
environment and identify the steps you will take to mitigate any negative
impacts.
Hints: As a beverage company, consider such issues as your
choice of packaging, disposal of bottles / packages by consumers, and your use
of resources, such as water in areas where water may be scarce.
Determine any health issues / claims related to the product
you are making, whether negative or positive. Suggest the strategy your company
will use to mitigate any negative issues, and to ensure any positive claims are
true.
Many beverage products have negative health impacts on
certain segments of a population (e.g., children, pregnant mothers, etc.).
Suggest your company’s plan, through advertising, distribution, and / or other
methods, to target and reach only appropriate market segments.
Format your assignment according to these formatting
requirements:
Cite the resources you have used to complete the exercise.
Note: There is no minimum requirement for the number of resources used in the
exercise.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size
12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or
school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment,
the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The
cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.
Section 2: Business Plan Financials (MS Excel worksheets template)
For year one, revise and submit the Income Statement, Cash
Flow Projections, and Balance Sheet sections from the “Business Plan
Financials” MS Excel template (see: Course Required Files in Week 1).
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this
assignment are:
Describe strategic planning techniques used to formulate
alternative strategies designed to achieve stated business goals.
Create a plan to implement a firm’s strategy and manage the
change from current operations.
Analyze strategies for exerting the internal leadership
needed to drive the implementation of strategic initiatives and improve
operating excellence.
Use technology and information resources to research issues
in strategic management.
Write clearly and concisely about strategic management using
proper writing mechanics.
Assignment 4: Presentation
Due Week 9 and worth 70 points
After you have fleshed out your business plan you will have
the information you will need for a slide presentation (e.g., PowerPoint). This
12-slide presentation conveys the most important aspects of your business in a
short time. More sophisticated investors, such as angel investors and venture
capitalists, will typically not look at your written business plan until they
have seen your slide presentation.
Presentation (MS PowerPoint or equivalent)
Create a 12-slide presentation. Follow the outline on pp.
343–346 for the critical slides of your presentation and their placement. Click
here for help accessing a specific page number in your eBook.
Hints: Include the highlights of your elevator pitch, which
shows that you understand your business. The elevator pitch is a concise
description of your company—its product, market, competitive advantages, and so
on. Whether pitching your business to an investor or describing it to a
potential connection at a networking event, you need to be able explain your
business succinctly to someone in the amount of time it would take to ride up a
few floors in an elevator. Use the worksheet in the text (p. 362 | Your
“Elevator Pitch”) to develop your elevator pitch.
Hints: You must limit your presentation to twelve (12)
slides. You do not want to overwhelm your audience with too many slides or bore
them with information they already know.
Cite three (3) resources you have used to complete the
exercise.
Citations and references must follow APA format. The
reference page is not included in the required page length
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this
assignment are:
Describe strategic planning techniques used to formulate
alternative strategies designed to achieve stated business goals.
Create a plan to implement a firm’s strategy and manage the
change from current operations.
Analyze strategies for exerting the internal leadership
needed to drive the implementation of strategic initiatives and improve
operating excellence.
Use technology and information resources to research issues
in strategic management.
Write clearly and concisely about strategic managemen
