BUSU 640 Week 7/Assignment 6
BUSU 640
Week 7/Assignment 6
Section 10, 11, 12
Executive Summary, Action Plan, Conclusions & Recommendations
100 Points
Length: Up to 10 pages, double-spaced (Times New Roman, 12-point font with standard 1” margins).
Due:Sunday of Week 7 by 11:59pm. Be sure to run your draft past your writing partner before submitting your work.
Addresses Learning Outcomes: 1-7
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Cite your references in the Action Plan and in Conclusions and Recommendations. You may use your textbooks from these and other core classes in the MBA.
- Do not cut and paste from your past assignments and papers.
- Be sure to fully explain your illustrations. You do not want your reader to interpret the illustrations, you must control the message. Provide an in-depth explanation of any illustrations you embed in your paper.
This assignment contains three sections of the final business plan:
- Executive Summary
- Action Plan
- Conclusions and Recommendations
1. Executive Summary
Write this section last. Writing it earlier will cause it to tend towards a traditional introduction and will not cover the whole scope of the research and analysis.The purpose of an executive summary is to provide a brief description of the plan in less than two pages.
The executive summary needs to target the intended reader. The executive summary is intended to give a busy executive key information and lead them to the sections that will answer their primary questions. It is not an introduction to the plan or an abstract. The executive summary is meant to raise the interest of the executive reading it to continue reading and evaluating the business plan. Keep in mind that this might be the only section the executive will read; if it is not interesting, they might dismiss the rest. The executive summary is always at least one full page but never more than two pages long.
The elements of an executive summary are:
- Usually starts with “There is a need” and is backed up by data. This includes a description of the unsatisfied need that creates the business opportunity and innovation desire
- Purpose of the plan (attract investors, bring a new innovation to a specific, identified, and cited market, etc.)
- Introduction to market opportunity – what is the innovation, what is the industry, what is the value that it brings
- Some highlights of the demographics of the customer
- Briefly show why the innovation is a financially sound business idea
- Do not include citations
2. Action Plan
The action plan describes the steps needed to implement the business plan, including the performance evaluation criteria. This section contains information from all action steps in the twelve sections of the business plan. For example, if in the marketing plan there is a promotion proposed, then the action steps for designing, manufacturing, and distributing the promotion would be included in the action plan. Include time lines in your action plan.
The action plan explains who does what, how, and when. This is often directly connected to the management, marketing, and operations plans. This section always contains a graphic and clear explanations.
3. Conclusions & Recommendations
This is a detailed section that creatively summarizes (but not like in the Executive Summary) the business plan. This is an opportunity to restate your business case and includes conclusions and recommendations for moving forward. If the development of this business plan does not produce a viable business, this is where you discuss what is needed to make it viable (or not, but it must be stated in this section).
Rubric
|
Criteria |
Exemplary |
Proficient |
Developing |
Emerging |
|
Executive Summary, Action Plan, Conclusions & Recommendations |
40 The Executive Summary is factual, creative, interesting and clearly covers the key points of the entire business plan, The mission and vision, management, marketing and operations and evident. The Action Plan covers who does what when to make the business happen. The recommendations and conclusions creatively describe the products and services that are to be offered. These assignments build on and represent Assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The paper makes the case for an interesting and viable business. |
32 The Executive Summary is factual, interesting and covers the key points of the entire business plan, The mission and vision, management, marketing and operations and evident. The Action Plan covers who does what when to make the business happen. The recommendations and conclusions describe the products and services that are to be offered. These assignments build on and represent Assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The paper makes a case for a viable business. |
28 The Executive Summary is somewhat factual, somewhat covers the key points of the entire business plan, the mission and vision, management, marketing and operations are somewhat evident. The Action Plan mostly covers who does what when to make the business happen. The recommendations and conclusions for the most part describes the products and services that are to be offered. These assignments build on and represent Assignments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The paper somewhat makes a case for a viable business. |
24 The Executive Summary misses some of the key points of the business plan. The Action Plan lacks clarity. These papers are full of opinion and could have been written before writing the business plan. The conclusions and recommendations are full of opinion and do not necessarily connect to the research and analysis. It is unclear if the business will be viable. |
|
Application (Theory to Practice) (20% of total) |
30 The concepts from the entire core classes of the MBA program are creatively and clearly applied to the business plan using creative and interesting writing. |
24 The concepts from the entire core classes of the MBA program are clearly applied to the business plan using interesting writing. |
21 Most of the concepts from the MBA program are somewhat applied to the business plan. |
18 There is little evidence of application of the core classes of the MBA. |
|
Critical Analysis (20% of total) |
10 Consistently employs critical analysis in discussing the issue(s). Effectively synthesizes and integrates data to draw valid conclusions, identify options, and make specific recommendations. |
8 Fairly consistently employs critical analysis in discussing the issue(s). Fairly effectively integrates data to draw valid conclusions, identify options, and make recommendations.. |
7 Somewhat employs critical analysis in discussing the issue(s). . Somewhat uses data to draw somewhat valid conclusions and makes general recommendations. |
6 Limited if any critical analysis in discussing the issue(s). Limited if any use data findings to draw conclusions, identifies options and/or make recommendations. |
|
APA and Sources (10% of total) |
10 Uses at least ten sources scholarly sources including the text books. Accurately adhere to APA standards; reference page and citations are correct. All sources listed in References are cited in paper |
8 Uses at least eight scholarly sources. Adheres to APA standards; reference page and citations are correct with minor (1-3) errors. All sources listed in References are cited in paper |
7 Uses at least six scholarly sources. APA standards are somewhat followed; the work of others is cited but with numerous (4 – 7) errors. Sources listed in References and citations may not match |
6 Uses less than five scholarly sources. Limited adherence to APA standards in the paper and Reference page; work of others may be cited but with multiple (8+) errors. Sources listed in References and citations do not match |
|
Writing Mechanics (15% of total) |
10 The paper is logical and well-written; spelling, grammar and punctuation are accurate. There is excellent flow from one section to the next. The paper is interesting to read. |
8 The paper is logical and well-written but with minor (1 – 3) errors in spelling, grammar and/or punctuation. The paper has flow from one section to the next. |
7 The paper is somewhat logical and well-written but with several (4 – 7) errors in spelling, grammar and/or punctuation. The paper for the most part has flow from one section to the next. |
6 The paper lacks flow and clarity and may be confusing with numerous (8+) errors in spelling, grammar and/or punctuation. |
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Rating:
/5
Solution: BUSU 640 Week 7/Assignment 6