Future Students - Courses

The Business Model and Plan

Unit Code: HEI781

Duration	Contact Hours	Campus	Prerequisite	Corequisite
One Teaching Period	36 hours	Hawthorn	HEI621 New Venture Financial Management, HEI631 New Venture Marketing and HEI691 Opportunity Evaluation	Nil

Credit Points: 12.5 Credit Points

Aims & Objectives:

The Business Model and Plan builds on the skills learned in Opportunity Evaluation and the other Stage 1 MEI units. Whereas the focus of Opportunity Evaluation is on determining the viability of an idea as a potential business, The Business Model and Plan focuses on the detailed planning that is required to establish a new business and the communication of that planning to obtain the resources required to establish the business. This unit forms part of stage 2 of the MEI, planning and managing rapid growth.

After successfully completing this unit students should be able to:

design a business planning process that will undertake strategic planning, market research, operations research, business costing and identification of funding options
develop an integrated plan to start a new business
identify and analyse the inherent risks of a business plan
identify potential sources of funding for a new business
develop an effective strategy for accessing the required funding
prepare a high quality business plan and develop and implement a communication strategy for a business plan

Teaching Methods:

A range of teaching methods will be used in this unit: lectures, group exercises, individual and group assignments enable the participants to apply and test the concepts and skills acquired during the program.
The teaching methodology emphasises both individual and group forms of learning. Group work is highly valued, as it is a reflection of the way in which most entrepreneurial leaders and managers work in the current business environment.

Assessment:

Participation (in class graded activity) 15-25%
Individual project and presentation 25-35%
Group project and presentation 45-55%

Generic Skills Outcomes:

Swinburne University of Technology works to produce higher education graduates who are capable in their chosen profession. Learners bring to Swinburne University of Technology a diverse wealth of experiences and graduate with individual understandings, abilities and attitudes.

Within this context it is the intent of unit HEI791 The Business Model and Plan that students develop the following key generic skills:

Leadership skills
Teamwork skills
Analysis skills
Problem solving skills
Communication skills
Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
Ability to work independently

Content:

Business Planning Process &Role of Business Plan
Structure of Business Plan
Implementation of Strategy
Business Models & Value Logics
Managing for Growth
Asset Management & Intellectual Property
The Marketing Plan & Business Metrics
The Operating Plan
Business Establishment and Start-Up
Cost Estimating, Sources of Finance & Negotiating Finance
The Management Team
Exiting a Business
Integration of Functional Plans & The Executive Summary
Communication Strategies

Textbooks:

Bygrave, W & Zacharakis, A, 2008 Entrepreneurship 1st Edition or equivalent.

References:

A set of current and relevant readings is maintained on the Blackboard website.