The culminating activity for this course will be a comprehensive business plan, presented in a formal report that includes all of the following:

Title Page.

Table of contents.

Business Overview:

type of business (merchandising or service company);

products and services offered;

form of business (sole proprietorship, limited or general partnership, corporation);

ownership structure and income sharing.

Financial Analysis of a Competitor:

download the most recent Annual Report for a public company in the same industry;

perform a financial analysis on this competitor (determine factors such as profit margin, debt ratio and current ratio to guide your financial estimates, as well as EPS and dividend yield if applicable);

make decisions on your operations based on the strengths and weaknesses of the competition.

Financial Plan:

amount and sources of required funding (owner capital, share/bond issues, loans, venture capital);

a projected Balance Sheet at start-up; pricing and expected sales (revenue);

a projected Income Statement; a projected Cash Flow Statement for the first year.

Internal Control:

inventory valuation method if applicable (FIFO, Average Cost or Specific Identification) and perpetual or periodic inventory;

technology, policies, cash control and security measures to safeguard assets and to ensure accurate representations of inventory and other assets;

what ways would you ensure that your company is socially responsible?