Sample Contents of Feasibility Study

Sample Executive Summary For Your Business PlanApril 5, 2011 – 11:14 am Earlier in Invest Engine Blog we have talked about  executive summary contents  and  how to write executive summary. Using all this information we shall now pass to actually writing an executive summary taking restaurant business plan as an example. Writing executive summaries is among the most important business skills. The majority of investors whom you’ll address with your project will read your executive summary first. And only then will decide whether to proceed with your start up or leave it alone.So let’s get started! 1. Executive Summary Cover Passing along a naked text is not a good idea. So do provide a cover for your executive summary. The executive summary cover page should contain: * your company logo; * the title of your project; * your contact information; * the subtitle â€Å"Executive Summary† (not to confuse this document with the full version of your business p lan). 2. The Opening Statement: Who? What? When? Where? Why? From the very first sentence it should be understood what your project is about. Showing respect to your readers’ time and attention is highly appreciated.So if you can answer the  Five W’s  in a single sentence, it is perfect. But sometimes it is better to break it down into smaller sentences. And DO avoid general phrases and adjectives like â€Å"great†, â€Å"unique†, â€Å"exclusive† as they make you look boastful right from the start. From the cover page of our  sample restaurant executive summary  the reader knows that the project is called: â€Å"BBQ-5 – barbecue restaurant in Chicago, IL†. So the opening statement of the executive summary could be: â€Å"BBQ-5 is a new barbecue restaurant in Chicago, IL founded by Mr. BBQ.This will be the fifth restaurant of â€Å"Mr. BBQ Family of Restaurants† – the barbecue chain founded in 2005 and is alread y well-known in The Great Lakes area. † 3. Brief Company ProfileYou are sure to provide some detailed information about your company background, its mission and business objectives in your business plan. But the major highlights should be put into executive summary as well. Typically you are expected to say: * When was your business founded? * What are the major industries and regions of operations? * What are your business mission and business objectives? How many people work in your firm? * What is your position in the company? In the sample executive summary we are going through it is stated that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"the  chain was founded in 2005 and is already well-known in The Great Lakes area† (the info about the year the business was founded and the region of operation is provided). And so it is continued: â€Å"The other restaurants are located two in Cleveland, OH, one in Detroit, MI and one in Milwaukee, WI. Each of the restaurants started by Mr. BBQ reached the break -even point within a year. Though Mr. BBQ and Mrs. BBQ are principle owners, it is Mr.BBQ’s  intention to offer outside ownership in â€Å"BBQ-5? restaurant on an equity, debt, or combination basis in order to facilitate the opening of BBQ-5 restaurant and further growth of the chain. † From this paragraph it is clear that the principal figures in the company are Mr. BBQ and Mrs. BBQ and their major business goal is  Ã¢â‚¬Å"further growth of the chain†. 4. Project Description Normally executive summary should always be written last. You already have a perfectly written product description in your business plan and can now copy-paste the highlights into your executive summary.It should really take minutes! In the business plan for BBQ-5 restaurant it was stated that location is a key success factor. So in the executive summary it would be perfect to start with the advantages of the location and target audience of the restaurant: â€Å"BBQ-5 will be opened in leased premises in the very heart of Chicago – the Loop district. The Loop is the center of Chicago’s cultural, commercial and financial institutions. It is also the major tourist destination. And the neighboring district – The North Side – is the most densely populated residential section of the city.It is also a popular take-away destination. So BBQ-5 will target residents of The Loop district, office workers and tourists. † Then we briefly describe restaurant’s projected capacity, its specialization and the key competitive advantages (these are also copy-pasted from the business plan): â€Å"The restaurant will specialize in traditional style barbecue meals: smoked pork, veal and fish, steaks and sandwiches. The menu will also include a variety of vegetarian meals and the widest range of sauces. The restaurant’s projected capacity is 340 seats. After that you can outline main business objectives of the project showing that you have a clear vision and know your goals. Then write a paragraph about major risks of your project but stay positive providing your solutions right away. Stress the strong sides of your company and the competencies of the team behind the project. 5. Key Business Plan Numbers By the moment you write executive summary you are supposed to know  exactly  how much funding you need. So provide the highlights in the form of investment summary table. It puts investment structure vs. nvestment purposes of your project. So anyone reading your executive summary will understand what you need money for, how much of your own capital you invest and how much is expected from other sources (direct investment, bank loans, start up grants etc. ) Also state how much revenues your project will generate (revenue projections) and of course the payback period of your project – how long will it take for your project to become cash flow positive. ple Projects  >  Sample #4| Sample #4| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. Company: Bentonville Medical Clinic   Contact Person: George Hendrichs Title: Business Manager/Administrator Telephone: (910) 273 – 8457 Fax: (910) 273 – 5419 Address: 413 Harmon Place, Greensboro, NC 27412BackgroundProvide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief description of the department/function/product that is the main focus of the study. Bentonville Medical Clinic is a 12 year old medical firm specializing in the practice of obstetrics and gynecologic services.The main office, located in Greensboro, is where the primary administrative functions such as coordination, billing, insurance claims, etc. are carried out, but the firm is also comprised of two satellite offices located in Reidsville and Eden. The firm employs 1 administrator, 7 clinical personnel, 9 clerical workers, and 5 physicians, who rotate through each of the three offices on a regular basis. Gross revenues for 1991 were roughly $3. 1 million, as a result of 37,000 patient encounters. The bulk of the revenues are taken in by the Greensboro office, which accounted for 72% of all receipts.Revenues grew regularly through 1990, but have leveled off since then as a result of the efforts of the government and other agencies to control health care expenses. Some primary points of emphasis for Bentonville Medical Clinic are: (1) maintenance of high quality of patient care, through the regular and efficient assimilation of new technologies, (2) continuous improvement of business efficiencies and cost reductions, and (3) provision of a reasonable return on investment for the firm's partners. The Project To Be StudiedDescribe the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on.One of the basic problems with health care today is the government wishes to control health costs, yet demands the highest quality of service available. Often, the government wishes only to pay amounts for these services that barely exceed the cost a medical firm incurs in providing them. The focus of the group will be to evaluate the costs of various types of patient visits versus the payment plans instituted by the government (the RBRVS system that calculates costs for medicare, for example), and determine how these plans affect Bentonville Medical Clinic's cash flows and revenues.Outputs DesiredWhat specific results would be expected, e. g. reports, recommendations, etc. Outputs desired from this study include:(1) Determination of the amount of medicare volume that can be profitably handled;(2) Identification of the various costs involved in particular types of patient encounters (which types of visits are most/least profitable for the firm)(3) Determination of how cash flows being affected by programs such Medicare's RBRVS cost conversion factors(4) Suggestions for some possible alternative s/strategies through which Bentonville Medical Clinic can maximize revenues in the current environment.Required/Available Resources- (List special or unique data, software, personnel, etc. required, or available):Summary/Key Word Information:Estimated team size: 2-3 person team   How was project obtained? : Referred by John Adams, Alum Previous Project? : No Project Focus – Primary: Accounting/Finance Other areas: Strategy, Health Administration Keywords: Costing, and cash flow analysis Brief Abstract: Contrast patient visits with reimbursement plans to assess the equity of payments received and determine their affect on overall cash flows and revenues. | Sample #1| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Comfort Apparel   Contact Person: Sam Talbott Title: Marketing Manager Telephone: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: (336) 745-7025 Address: 1234 Comfort Blvd. , Winston-Salem, NC 27123BackgroundComfort App arel manufactures and markets high-quality, high-value apparel using screen printing and embroidery.Comfort holds exclusive contracts with several boards of education in the Southeast to provide shirts, hats and sweatshirts with school logos for state championships in all major sports. Other boards are being pursued for contracts. A significant volume of business is obtained through short-term contracts with colleges, universities and sports associations to provide logo apparel for ceremonies and sporting events.Comfort provides consumer value by offering a high-quality embroidery look at prices comparable to regular screen-printed products with quick turnaround on short notice. The Project To Be StudiedAt Comfort, ordering, scheduling, invoicing, inventory control and shipping are done manually. Management decided to switch to an electronic system because of frequent and often unanticipated surges in volume, as well as recent overall growth. Several of Comfort’s accounts hav e requested EDI systems and other electronic media, including use of the Internet, to process orders and shipping.The study group will be responsible for determining what system could capitalize on emerging technology and be most appropriate for the company and how best to implement the system. The study will look at three main operating areas: * Information systems between Comfort and our manufacturing operations * Information systems between Comfort and our customers * Information systems between Comfort and our suppliersThe team must propose whether members will focus on one, two or all of the above applications.Outputs Desired * Provide Comfort with a list of information systems that capitalize on the latest technology and that could be installed and implemented, along with pros and cons of each * Propose a schematic design and determine the costs and benefits of each alternative * Recommend the best alternative and provide a plan for implementation| Sample #3| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Gourmet House Software Services   Contact Person: Rachel BenedictTitle: Director of Development Telephone: (910) 277 – 2347 Fax: (910) 277 – 9547 Address: 1600 Watley Plaza, Winston-Salem, NC 27011BackgroundProvide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief description of the department/function/product that is the main focus of the study. Gourmet House Software Services is a relatively small â€Å"software house† that specializes in software for restaurants and wholesale food distributors.The purpose of this type of software is to allow the user to better and more efficiently purchase and utilize their inventory and delivery systems. Gourmet House System is going into its twelfth year of business, and they estimate that they have roughly 160 users of their specialized software. The Project To Be StudiedDescri be the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on. The current computer system software being sold by Gourmet House is a third generation software component.They feel it is necessary to upgrade their software to a fourth generation, but want to make sure they can successfully market this new product to existing customers, as well as to other potential markets. The study group should concentrate on the following areas:(1) The various methods that could be used to market this new product to current market segments, while maintaining support and customer satisfaction for older products;(2) Identify any other feasible markets for this new product. Outputs DesiredWhat specific results would be expected, e. . reports, recommendations, etc. The outputs desired from this project would be as follows:(1) A list of options and an action plan for the introduction of the new software component(2) A risk analysis of the planned introduction, co mplete with benefits and drawbacks. (3) Financial considerations involved (ROI, etc). Summary/Key Word Information:Estimated team size: 2-3 person team   How was project obtained? : Wilson Thomas, Alum Previous Project? : No Project Focus – Primary: Marketing, Strategic PlanningOther areas: New Ventures, Business Strategy Keywords: Marketing and identifying new niches Brief Abstract: Recommend a marketing plan for a fourth generation of a software package and identify new markets the firm might enter in order to increase revenues and profits. | Sample #2| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Mountain Broadcasting Company Contact Person: Ms. I. M. Astarr Title: President Telephone: (910) 253-7827 Fax: (910) 253-1329 Address: 4321 Galaxy Boulevard, Mt.Airy, NC 27411Background-  Provide an overview of the company, the nature and size of the primary product(s)/service(s) and operations, and a brief description of the department/function/product that is the main focus of the study. Mountain Broadcasting Company is a locally-owned radio company which operates under the call letters of WMBC (FM) and WNCB (AM). It employs 17 people, including 6 salespeople. The Project To Be Studied-  Describe the situation to be studied, and if possible, identify the specific issue(s)/problem(s) to focus on.Mountain Broadcasting contacted the Schools of Business to conduct a survey and analyze the results to determine what factors are critical when current and prospective advertisers make the decision to use radio as an advertising medium. Mountain Broadcasting also wanted to learn how effective its salespeople were compared to the competition, be it radio stations, television stations, or magazines and newspapers. Mountain Broadcast hoped to learn what it could to ultimately leading to an improvement in the company's profitability. Outputs Desired-  What specific results would be expected, e. . reports, re commendations, etc. Outputs desired from this practicum include:(1) Which local sales staffs within the industry are perceived as most competent/least competent? (2) What affect do program formats and program contents have on advertisers' decisions to buy? (3) How do the rates charged by WMBC and WNCB compare with other stations and how are they perceived by their customers with respect to the value received? (4) What affect do promotional support, purchase incentives, and the buying procedure have on the purchasing decision? 5) Which stations are perceived as most effective for reaching specific demographic targets? (6) How do stations' production capabilities affect their advertising rates? Methodology-  Possible strategies and analytical tools to employ. The data for this study will be generated by telephone interviews of approximately 100-200 prospective advertisers. The prospects will include current radio and non-radio advertisers, current customers, and non-customers of the stations, and direct advertisers and agencies and/or media brokers. The team will be supplied by the client with the list of prospects. | * ————————————————- About Us * ————————————————- Academic Programs   * ————————————————- Admissions * ————————————————- Beyond Academics * ————————————————- Careers & Internships * ——————————————â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Diversity * ————————————————- Faculty & Research * ————————————————- News & Events * WFU Charlotte Center | | Home  >  Beyond Academics  >  WF Business Solutions  >  Sample Projects  >  Sample #1| Sample #1| [The data in this form is either fictitious or has been adapted with a firm's permission. ]Company: Comfort Apparel   Contact Person: Sam Talbott Title: Marketing Manager Telephone: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: 336. 555. 1234 Fax: (336) 745-7025 Address: 1234 Comfort Blvd. , Winston-Salem, NC 27123BackgroundComfort Apparel manufactures and markets high-quality, high-value apparel using screen printing and embroidery.Comfort holds exclusive contracts with several boards of education in the Southeast to provide shirts, hats and sweatshir ts with school logos for state championships in all major sports. Other boards are being pursued for contracts. A significant volume of business is obtained through short-term contracts with colleges, universities and sports associations to provide logo apparel for ceremonies and sporting events.Comfort provides consumer value by offering a high-quality embroidery look at prices comparable to regular screen-printed products with quick turnaround on short notice. The Project To Be StudiedAt Comfort, ordering, scheduling, invoicing, inventory control and shipping are done manually. Management decided to switch to an electronic system because of frequent and often unanticipated surges in volume, as well as recent overall growth. Several of Comfort’s accounts have requested EDI systems and other electronic media, including use of the Internet, to process orders and shipping.The study group will be responsible for determining what system could capitalize on emerging technology and be most appropriate for the company and how best to implement the system. The study will look at three main operating areas: * Information systems between Comfort and our manufacturing operations * Information systems between Comfort and our customers * Information systems between Comfort and our suppliersThe team must propose whether members will focus on one, two or all of the above applications.Outputs Desired * Provide Comfort with a list of information systems that capitalize on the latest technology and that could be installed and implemented, along with pros and cons of each * Propose a schematic design and determine the costs and benefits of each alternative * Recommend the best alternative and provide a plan for implementation| |