383interface.gif (25616 bytes)

assignment icon Assignment 3 - Feasibility Study

 

Kaltura logo

Please review the Feasibility Study assignment videos in the PRM 383 CANVAS site.

If you cannot view the video, contact the Student Technology Center at (928) 523-9294 or (888) 520-7215

line break


Assignment:
Each student will develop a feasibility study for a potential commercial recreation enterprise. You MAY NOT use a non-profit or government (city, county, state or federal) entity. The intent of this assignment is to teach students the process of developing a commercial (for profit) recreation business feasibility study. Whether the proposed business is successful (profitable) or not has no bearing on the assignment grade. The majority of feasibility studies here and in the business world are not potentially successful. That is the point of developing a feasibility study. All businesses must be located in the United States.

The guidelines are included below.

calendar icon Deadline: All feasibility studies are due on Monday, March 4th by midnight. No feasibility Studies will be accepted after the midnight deadline.


  Important Note: Restaurants and bars are not acceptable businesses for this assignment. Retail operations are strongly discouraged.

 

 For ALL PRM majors, this assignment should be saved and placed in your PRM Professional Portfolio.

Project Format:

Use the American Psychological Association's Publication Manual (7th ed) format (margins, font size, citations, etc). 
 

Title Page: Include the name of the assignment, the class prefix and number, your name, page number, date. and running head.
Font:  Times New Roman, CG Times or Arial
Font Size:  12 points
Margins:  1inch, top and bottom - left and right. (Hint. In MS Word, select "Page Layout"; select select 1 inch (1") in the Top; Bottom; Left; Right; boxes; then ok.
Justification All text should be Left justified
Print Color: Black
Line Spacing: Double space
Outline

The paper should be in the OUTLINE format provided below, addressing every item listed in the guidelines.

Page Numbers & Running Heads Include a Running Head (Header) and number all pages at the top right, beginning with the title page.
Pictures No pictures, charts or graphs should be included in the feasibility study assignment.
References DO NOT USE any online reference programs/sources. Use the (APA Manual Guidelines, 7th edition) provided in the assignment guidelines.

  Grading/Comment Key - this "key" identifies information errors in your course assignments by number and provides additional information.

 

calendar iconHere is your Feasibility Study Countdown: It is easier to complete each section at a time and not try to complete the whole assignment at one time.
bullet

      Week 3; Submit your proposed business idea to Dr. Hammersley  . Assignment 1 Business Type due! (Monday, February 5th)

bullet

            Week 3; Complete Section 1 ;

bullet

      Week 5; Complete Section 2 ; Assignment 2 Business Demand due! Only the demand calculation is to be turned in! ( Monday, Febrauary 19th)

bullet

      Week 5; Complete Section 3;

bullet

      Week 6; Complete Section 4  ;

bullet

      Week 7; Complete Section 5 ;

bullet

      Week 8; Complete Sections 6 & 7 . Assignment 3 Feasibility Study due! (Monday, March 4th)

assignment icon Feasibility Study Assignment

Grading Basis: The Feasibility Study (Assignments 3) is worth a total of 50 points.

So the total Feasibility Study possible points are 100. This assignment is worth 50 percent of your final grade. See Syllabus Grading Basis.

Example: 100 (possible total assignment points) / 74 points (several wrong answers) for (Feasibility Study assignment ) = 74 (assignment grade) x .5 = 37 total grade points out of a possible 50.

line break

Section 1: Business Image = 2 points each x 6 items = 12 points

Section 2: Marketing = 3 points each x 6 items = 18 points

Section 3: Advertising Plan = 5 points each x 3 items = 15 points

Section 4: Business Expenses = 5 points each x 2 items = 10 points

Section 5: Overhead Table (10 points) & Annual Revenue (5 points) & O&M Budget (10 points) = 25 points

Section 6: Per Unit Cost & Capital Budget = 5 points each x 2 items = 10 points

Section 7: Summary & References = 5 points each x 2 items = 10 points

Note: Errors in Formatting, Punctuation, Grammar, Spelling, In-text Citations and Quotations, and References = 1 point each

line break

assignment icon Feasibility Study Assignment (50 points): Due: Monday, March 4th.

Kaltura logo

Please review the Feasibility Study assignment videos in the PRM 383 CANVAS site.

If you cannot view the video, contact the Student Technology Center at (928) 523-9294 or (888) 520-7215

caution iconBE SURE TO FOLLOW THE OUTLINE FORMAT PROVIDED BELOW - EXACTLY! Any omission or deviation will result in loss of points.

Section 1. Business Image (2 points each)

a. From the chart on page 13 in the text, identify what "Industry" area your business is located. It must be a commercial recreation business, not a facilitator.

b. What type of business are you starting? Give a brief description and a location (City or closest metropolitan area) where the business will be located.

c. Write a "mission statement" for your business (usually 2-3 sentences). Be sure to include the name of the business in the mission statement.

d. List (bullet list) & briefly describe what services you "will" and "will not" offer. Be specific. If you offer tours/activities/classes list each type of tour or activity.

e. List (bullet list) and briefly describe what "differentiates" your business. What are you trying to do better or differently?

f. Identify the "most appropriate" legal entity for your business organization and WHY you chose it. See text pages 91-94.


Section 2. Marketing (3 points each)

a. Go to the U.S. Census (Type the name of your City, State in the Search box and Click Search).

Then include the following information:

b. Identify and list other competitive services (Google Search) in your market area. In a bullet list include:

c. Include your Demand calculation from Assignment 2 Business Demand Total Demand = _______________

NOTE: If your did not submit Assignment 2 Business Demand, provide all of the Assignment 2 information in item 2c.

d. Identify the local ordinances, zoning regulations and type of trading area affecting your business. NOTE: The answer to this question is “your business will be located in a business or commercially zoned area.” Unless you are operating an aquatic facility or have food preparation at your business then you would have to address local health codes.

e. Identify your building needs (NOTE: you are required to have an office, but you may NOT use a home office):

bullet What is the square footage needed for office, dock, equipment warehouse etc., (estimate)
bullet How many parking spaces are needed, (estimate)
bullet What is the availability and proximity of public transportation,
bullet What is the labor supply (labor supply is the unemployment rate),
bulletWhat entity provides fire and police protection.

f. Identify if you will build your own, rent, or buy and existing building and why.


Section 3. Advertising Plan (4 points each)

a. Identify, from the text, your pricing strategy(ies), and why you selected them? See text pages 156-159.

b. Describe where in the Product Life Cycle your products or services are located. This refers to the industry not your specific business.

c. Identify the form(s) of advertising, be sure to include all of the following for any media you decide to use. You do not have to use all media types. Select which are best for your business:

bullet Specific type of media such as newspaper, radio, tv, web site, rack cards, magazines, etc.).
bullet Include the cost of each type of media used.
bullet
You HAVE to include the cost for a web site. You DO NOT develop one.


Section 4. Business Expenses (5 points each)

a. Create a Start-up Expense table (use the table format, and DO NOT include this as an Excel file) of your start-up costs (fixtures; specific equipment; specific inventory; office supplies; remodeling; utility deposits; legal fees; and license/permit fees. Be sure to include the Total Start-up amount $_____.

b. Describe the funding source(s) for financing your business. YOU MUST PROVIDE 20% (NO MORE OR LESS THAN 20%) OF THE TOTAL REQUIRED FUNDING FROM PERSONAL/FAMILY/FRIENDS/PARTNERS. No grants or donations may be used as a funding source. Provide the following information for your business loan:

  1. The name of the financial institution
  2. Terms of your bank loan (number of years to repay);
  3. Total amount borrowed (this is 80% of your total start-up costs);
  4. Interest rate;
  5. Monthly payment (This is also a line item in your Overhead and O&M budgets); and
  6. You must cite your source for the financial institution in this section AND in the References
NOTE: You can also check for information at Small Business Administration


Section 5. Overhead Table & O&M Budget (3.3 points each)

a. Create a one month Overhead Table (you MUST use the sample table format) listing all MONTHLY overhead expenses; rent/mortgage, utilities, benefits and payroll taxes, payroll wages (even if you are the owner, you have to list yourself as an employee for wages and payroll taxes), etc. for one month (overhead line items are the same as the line items in your 12 month O&M expenses) listed as line items.

b. Calculate your 12 month revenue using the information from your demand.

To calculate your pro forma (projected) revenue, take your "demand" number from assignment 1, then determine your average price for your service and multiply that by the demand.

Example: 24,000 jeep tour customers (demand from item 2c) x  (your jeep tour company offers 1 hour tour - $55/person and 3 hour - $85/person so to get the average $55 + $85=$140/2=$70) so 24,000 x $70=$1,680,000 total revenue. Then it is up to you how to divide it up in to the 12 months revenue for the two revenue line items (1 hour tour and 3 hour tour) but the total revenue should still show $1,680,000.

c. Create a 12 month Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Budget. Estimate your business's first twelve months income and expenses . Using the sample O&M budget format. The expenses are the same line items in the Overhead table. (See item 5a).

bullet Sample 12 Month O&M Budget - You MUST use this O&M Budget format.


Section 6. Per Unit Cost & Capital Budget (5 points each)

a. Determine the "Per Unit Cost," calculator show all calculations, from the 12 month O&M budget, use the Total Expenses amount / divided by your total demand (See item 2c). 

b. Prepare a separate capital budget (Capital items are planned to enhance or expand the business and are usually one time purchases of expensive (over $1,000) and long lasting 3+ years (i.e.: computer, vehicle(s), buildings, etc.). Start-up items are NOT capital items. Start-up items and capital items DO NOT appear in the O&M budget. You MUST use the Capital Budget format.

Note: You must include at least four capital line items and use the sample Capital Budget format.

bulletSample Capital budget

caution iconSubmit Section 5 b & 6 b, as separate tabs, in one Excel file with 5b (12 month O&M budget) on the first Excel tab and 6 b ( Capital budget) on the second Excel tab.
 

Section 7. Summary & References (4 points each)

a. Determine the viability of your business based on the data you have collected and analyzed. This is the most important part of the paper. Be insightful and support your conclusions with the data collected. If you have an incorrect demand, you cannot determine the viability of the proposed business. Select one of the following evaluations and be sure to include your justification (Why)?

bulletNot viable - and WHY?
bullet May be viable if ...... (what changes in your feasibility study could make this business viable) - and WHY
bullet Yes it is viable - and WHY?

b. List of ALL references and citations in the correct APA format (APA Manual Guidelines, 7th edition). References are listed alphabetically.

Do not use any online citation/reference program. They will not have the correct APA format.

 Grading/Comment Key - this "key" identifies information errors in your Feasibility Study assignment by number and provides additional information. It is a good idea to review the Comment Key before submitting your assignment.

email icon Submit this project in a MSWord file and an Excel file to the course facilitator. The document file should ONLY be a Microsoft Word (.doc; .docx; or .rtf) file, and attached to an email. The Running 12 Month O&M budget on the first tab and the Capital budget on the second tab, MUST be submitted as a single Excel file attached to the same email as the MSWord file.

email icon charles.hammersley@nau.edu
caution icon
DO NOT SUBMIT THE TEXT ASSIGNMENT IN GOOGLE DOCS OR A .PDF FILE, IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, BECAUSE I CANNOT INCLUDE COMMENTS FOR YOU IN THIS FORMAT!

 

nau logo Copyright 2015 Northern Arizona University, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED