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

1. Title Page.
2. Table of contents.
3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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?