Bus499: business administration

Week 3 Assignment – Business Consulting Plan Part 1: Gathering the Data

Overview

The assignments in this course are framed around a scenario in which you are hired by a company as a consultant to provide recommendations on solving a problem or capitalizing on an opportunity. You will draw upon your knowledge and skills around operations, finance, marketing, leadership, etc. for each assignment. The assignments will be completed in a PowerPoint presentation template and will be combined into a final pitch deck for your business consulting plan that you can add to your portfolio.

In your course discussions so far, you’ve been asked to choose a company for your assignments and to start gathering data related to a challenge or opportunity the company is facing. Now you will assume the role of a consultant and provide critical data and insights that can inform your future recommendation for an effective business strategy for the company. This assignment is the first part of your business consulting plan pitch deck for the company leadership.

Instructions:

The assignment must be completed in the provided PowerPoint template.

Download and save the

Week 3 Assignment Template [PPTX]

Download Week 3 Assignment Template [PPTX]

.

Follow the guidelines provided in the Strayer Library:

SWS Guidelines for Slideshow Presentations

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Review the rubric carefully before you begin working on the assignment.

Review your discussions and feedback from Weeks 1, 2, and 3. (These discussions provided specific directions on how to choose a company and how to gather important data)

Using the template, create a seven-slide presentation that will be part of a pitch deck for the company that hired you as a business consultant. Each slide should include 1-2 paragraphs of speaker notes that will be utilized to explain the content to the company leadership during your presentation. (Note: A video tutorial has been provided under the resources section below)

For Slide 1: Title slide:add the name of the company as a subtitle and your name and the date.

For slides 2 and 3 use the information and feedback from your Week 1 and 2 discussions:

Slide 2. Describe the company. When it was founded, what it does, who it serves, and its mission, and vision statements. (Detailed explanations should be placed in the speaker notes.)

Slide 3. Explain the company’s operations, including its location, the number of employees, and the key internal executives. (Detailed explanations should be placed in the speaker notes.)

For slide 4 use the research and feedback from your Week 3 discussion:

Slide 4.Summarize the company’s key financial data. For example, the annual revenue, cash flow, if they are operating net positive or negative, etc. In the speaker notes, clearly explain what the financial data tells you about the company. For example, what relevant insights does the data offer that could inform your recommendation in the next assignment?

For slides 5 and 6 locate or create a SWOT analysis for the company to assess its performance.(see the resources section below for help):

Slide 5.Provide a SWOT analysis for the company that can be used to assess what the company does well and where they could improve their product or service offering. The SWOT can be from an external resource or one you create. (Detailed explanations should be placed in the speaker notes.)

Slide 6. Using the SWOT analysis determine at least two challenges or areas of opportunity the company may be experiencing. Provide supporting evidence as to why the company needs to address the challenge or opportunity. (Detailed explanations should be placed in the speaker notes.)

Slide 7. Sources slide. Use at least three quality sources to support your writing. Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. Cite each source listed on your source slide at least one time within your assignment.

For help with research, writing, and citation, access the

library

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Upload your completed assignment template as a PowerPoint presentation file (PPT or PPTX) and submit using the provided link in Week 3.

Produce writing that is clear and well organized and applies appropriate

Strayer Writing Standards

(SWS) style. Writing contains accurate grammar, mechanics, and spelling.

This course requires the use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The library is your home for SWS assistance, including citations and formatting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.