Learning Outcomes for the module are coded L1 to L7 below.
Upon successful completion of the module the students will be able to:
L1. Identify and determine the driving forces in a new venture.
L2. Analyse how successful entrepreneurs and investors create, find, and differentiate profitable and durable opportunities; in particular, how
they tell these opportunities apart from just “other good ideas”.
L3. Evaluate and determine how successful entrepreneurs and investors create and build value for themselves and others.
L4. Identify and determine the necessary financial and non-financial resources available for new ventures; the criteria used to screen and
evaluate proposals, their attractiveness and risk, and know how to obtain start-up and early growth capital.
L5. Determine the critical tasks to be accomplished, the hurdles to be overcome during start-up and early growth, and what has to happen to
ensure success.
L6. Apply the opportunity screening criteria to actual start-up ideas, and subsequently develop a business plan suitable for presentation to
investors and industry participants.
L7. Develop and analyse integrated financial projections for a start-up venture.
Assignment Question 1
Learning Outcomes to be achieved: L1, L2, L4, L5 and L6 (see Learning Outcomes listed above).
Subject:
Select a small firm of your choice and present it as a case study in the form of a written report. Demonstrate whether you consider the
original vision and mission set for the business at the start up stage by the entrepreneur have been met and/ or adhered to. Use analytical
frameworks in your work. Suggest improvements to pricing and methods of entrepreneurial pricing.
Task:
ASSIGNMENT 1 (2,000 words)
Select a small firm of your choice in the business to business or business to consumer sectors’ that has been trading for no more than 10 years
and present it as a business case study in written report format. The firm can be in any country not just the UK. The firm can be in any sector
and may be a service industry or manufacturing enterprise. In the report cover the history of the business, the growth of the business, the
nature of the business, the main target markets and segments served by the business, the objectives set for the next five years, the original
vision and mission set for the new venture by the entrepreneur and evaluate and comment on whether the original vision and mission set at the
start-up stage have been met and /or adhered to. Use analytical frameworks and appropriate academic and conceptual models in your case study.
(500 words)
Using the case study you have constructed from the above task as a vehicle for discussion and analysis and using appropriate evaluative
frameworks critically appraise and discuss the organisation’s approach to pricing. Cover all aspects of pricing including promotional, discount
pricing and the price quality relationship if applicable. You should cover pricing methods employed by the firm and pricing policy. Suggest how
a more entrepreneurial approach to pricing might be used by management to improve turnover, net profit margins, cash flow and the reputational
marketing of the firm. Present your suggestions and recommendations in the form of 24 months business plan for pricing strategy objectives,
targets and implementation. Use analytical frameworks in your work. (1,500 words)
Total 2,000 words – 100% of the available marks for assignment 1 – present in report format)
STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENT CRITERIA RE: QUESTION ONE
• Use a specific small firm venture and develop this venture as a short CASE STUDY (500 words). Cover the history, nature of the
business, target markets, the objectives, vision and mission set for the new venture. Evaluation and comments on whether the original vision
and mission set at the start-up stage have been met and /or adhered to. Use of analytical frameworks in the work. (Up to 25 marks)
• Students’ should use the business start-up case developed in the first part of assignment 1 in considering the use of pricing within
the firm in the rest of the assignment. (Up to 12 marks)
• Critical analysis and imaginative entrepreneurially based suggestions and recommendations for future pricing improvements together with
a clear rationale and justification. (Up to 15 marks)
• Demonstrating and employing your knowledge of entrepreneurship and your entrepreneurial skills developed on the course within the
assignment. (Up to 13 marks)
• Demonstrate a good grasp of entrepreneurial theory and practice in the construction and content of the business report on achieving
improved entrepreneurial pricing strategies to improve cash flow, profit margins and the reputational marketing of the enterprise. (Up to 13
marks)
• Conceptual models and academic frameworks should be used to support the points made in the report where appropriate. (Up to 12 marks)
• Write in report format and produce a case study and management report of professional quality in terms of content, structure and
standard of presentation. (Up to 10 marks)
• Additional material can be placed in the appendix. The appendix does not count in terms of the word length requirements. Only relevant
additional material to support the written work in the actual report should be included in the appendix.
• Similar examples may be used as such examples have been covered on the program. A critical discussion and examination is required for
the above points.
TOTAL = 100 MARKS
Your work must be presented in a report format style. As an academic piece of work you are expected to link theory and practice. Make full use
of the academic and other literature to support the points made. Give a critical discussion and evaluation of the different positions held in
the literature evidence. You should take care to ensure that the work you submit has a high standard of structure and presentation. You must
acknowledge the sources of information and evidence using the Harvard referencing system. All assignments are subject to the University’s
regulations on plagiarism and must be submitted in electronic form for checking.
Guidelines to students’
Criteria for excellent/good, average, poor/inadequate answers
Excellent/ good answer
Excellent and good students’ will use a specific small firm and develop this firm as a short CASE STUDY. They will cover the history, nature of
the business, the objectives, vision and mission set for the new venture. They will provide an evaluation and produce comments on whether the
original vision and mission set at the start-up stage have been met and /or adhered to. Students’ will use analytical frameworks’ in the work.
Students’ will provide a critical analysis and imaginative entrepreneurially based suggestions and recommendations for future pricing
improvements together with a clear rationale and justification. Excellent and good students’ will demonstrate their knowledge of
entrepreneurship and their entrepreneurial skills developed on the course within the assignment. They will be expected to provide a logical and
cogent critical discussion and provide an answer containing academic and conceptual depth. The difference between excellent and good is likely
to be in the areas of the extent of criticality provided in the discussion, the degree of focus on the specific question asked, structure and
provision and critical evaluation.
Average answer
• Average students’ will produce a short small business case study but such a case is likely to be less well structured and less
informative than with the case of excellent and good students above. They are likely to discuss price and will put forward some suggestions as
to how the pricing strategy of the enterprise may be improved in the future. They may mention cash flow and the effect of pricing policy on the
perceived reputation of the enterprise. The suggestions made may lack the entrepreneurial imagination and depth given by excellent and good
students’ discussed above. Average students’ may not adhere completely to the specific question given and answers may lack focus and be rather
general in nature. Answers may lack the degree of criticality and entrepreneurial focus asked for in the question.
Poor/ inadequate answer
• Poor and/ or inadequate answers’ are likely to be too generic with the candidate failing to answer the specific question set. There is
likely to be a small business case study but this may be poorly constructed and lack focus. There may well be a discussion on pricing and
future pricing improvements but this discussion may be superficial and lack critical depth. There will be little critical examination or
discussion and the answer will be more descriptive than analytical. There will be limited evidence of the ability to apply entrepreneurial
skills and knowledge. The difference between a poor but marginally successful answer and a inadequate answer that fails to achieve the required
standard for a pass grade is like to be one of degree in terms of structure, the level of focus, critical examination and critical discussion
provided.
STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR ASSIGNMENT STRUCTURE
Please ensure that your assignment has:
• A table of contents
• A list of figures and/ or list of tables where appropriate
• Introduction/ Executive summary
• Literature Review- and Critical Analysis
• Conclusions
• References / Presentation
• Bibliography
• Appendices if appropriate
• TOTAL = 2,000 WORDS
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