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JWI 575: New Business Ventures and Entrepreneurship
Academic Submissions and Evaluation
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document
contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary
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may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed,
in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of
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JWI 575 – Assignment 1 (1208) Page 1 of 7

Assignment 1: New Venture - Game Plan
Format: Paper
Due: Week 3, Day 7 (Weight: 20%)
OVERVIEW
Throughout this course you will develop a plan to design and
implement a new product or service.
You have three options, depending whether you identify as an
Intrapreneur, an Entrepreneur, or a
Nonprofit leader. Your first step is to select or develop an
innovative “big idea” for ONE of the
options below:
Option A – Intrapreneur
Choose a product or service that could be added to your
organization’s portfolio.
You may use your current company or another company that
interests you. The
Resource in your Assignment 1 Resources titled Models of
Intrapreneurship
describes several models for intrapreneurial initiatives that you
can consider for
your venture.
Option B – Entrepreneur
Identify one business idea that you could launch as a start-up
business. The
Resource in your Assignment 1 Resources titled Organizational
Chart Template
provides a template for the structure of your new business.
Use the source below to research business ideas:
Research Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/businessideas

Option C – Nonprofit
Identify a nonprofit idea that will serve a community. The
Resource in your
Assignment 1 Resources titled NPO Organizational Chart
Template provides a
model for the structure of your new community organization.
Use the source below to learn about creating a nonprofit
organization:
Research Source: https://www.usa.gov/start-nonprofit
INSTRUCTIONS
For Assignment 1, you will write a Game Plan paper, in which
you describe your innovative “big
idea”, craft your vision for its implementation, and assess the
idea’s strengths and weaknesses,
as well as the major opportunities and threats in the market.
Your paper will be 3 to 4 pages long.
NOTE: When writing a business plan, avoid the use of first
person; use the name of the company
instead.

information and
For this first assignment, you will complete Sections II, III, and
IV of your Business Plan. These
are the sections in the template titled: Company Description,
New Product or Service Idea, and
SWOT Analysis.
Follow ONE of the three Options below, depending if your new
venture is to be added to an
existing business (Intrapreneur), launched as a start-up
(Entrepreneur), or founded as a nonprofit
organization (NPO). Make sure you work with the template that
matches your chosen Option.
Option A – INTRAPRENEUR
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Briefly describe your Company, including the Subsidiary or
New Initiative you plan to present for
that company:
o Provide a brief overview of the parent company.
o Describe your new Initiative or Subsidiary for the existing

company, including an
identifier (or name) for your idea and where it fits into the
company structure.
o Provide an Organizational Chart that shows the positions that
will need to be filled.
Use the Organizational Chart template in your Assignment 1
Resources.
o What is the mission for your new initiative? How does the
new initiative/subsidiary
align with the existing company?
NEW PRODUCT OR SERVICE IDEA
Describe your New Product or Service idea, by answering the
prompts below:
o What is new and unique about your product or service?
o What customer needs or desires does it satisfy?
o What is the value proposition – i.e., why would someone buy
your product or service?
Include key resources and key activities.
SWOT ANALYSIS
Explain the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
for your idea, using the prompts
below:
o Why is this the right time to implement this new business or
venture?
o What is distinctive, disruptive, and/or innovative about your
product or service?

o Include a SWOT Analysis. Use either the SWOT template or
the SWOT Worksheet
provided in your Assignment 1 Resources.
o Provide a detailed explanation of each SWOT quadrant.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
information and
Option B – ENTREPRENEUR
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Briefly describe the Start-up Company that you propose to

create:
o What is the name for your new business?
o When will your start-up business launch?
o What will its mission be?
o How many staff will you need? Provide an Organizational
Chart that shows the
positions that will need to be filled. Use the Organizational
Chart template in your
Assignment 1 Resources.
o How fast do you plan to grow?
o Where is your company based? Where does it or where will it
do business?
prompts below:
o What is new and unique about your product or service?
o What customer needs or desires does it satisfy?
o What is the value proposition – i.e., why would someone buy
your product or service?
Include key resources and key activities.
SWOT ANALYSIS
below:
venture?

product or service?
the SWOT Worksheet
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
information and
Option C – NONPROFIT

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION
Briefly describe the Nonprofit Organization that you propose to
create:
o Where will your nonprofit be set up?
o Include 501c3 status. Use the source below to learn more
about 501c3 status:
Research Source: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/501c3-
corporation-
64124.html
o What is the mission?
o What is the vision?
o How many staff will you need?
o Provide an Organizational Chart that shows the positions that
Use the NPO Organizational Chart template in your Assignment
1 Resources.
o How fast do you plan to grow?
prompts below:
o What problem does your nonprofit organization address?
o Who will benefit from your service?
o What communities will your nonprofit organization serve?
o What is the value proposition – i.e., why would someone
support your organizational
mission? Include key resources and key activities. Use the
source below to learn
about creating a nonprofit value proposition:

Research Sources:
https://prosper-strategies.com/nonprofit-value-proposition/
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-
types
SWOT ANALYSIS
below:
venture?
product or service?
the SWOT Worksheet
information and

FORMATTING
§ Typed, double-spaced, using Ariel or Times New Roman font
(size 11 or 12) with one-
inch margins on all sides; references must follow JWMI Writing
Standards format.
Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
§ Your Organizational chart and your SWOT Analysis may be
included in the body of
your document or placed at the end of your document in an
Appendix.
§ Include a Cover page containing the title of the assignment,
the student’s name, the
professor’s name, the course title, and the date.
§ Include a References page to identify your sources.
Note: The Cover page, References page, and Appendix (if used)
are not included in the
required page length.

information and
Rubric: Assignment 1: New Venture – Game Plan
CRITERIA Unsatisfactory Low Pass Pass High Pass Honors
1. Briefly describe
your Company,
including its size,
mission, and location.
Provide an
Organizational Chart to
show the positions that
Weight: 30%

Did not submit or
incompletely
described
the company basics,
including size,
mission, and
location. Incomplete
or missing
Organizational
Chart.
Partially
described
the company basics,
including size,
mission, and
location. Student
provided a partial
Organizational
Chart.
Satisfactorily
described
the company
basics, including
size, mission, and
location. Student
provided a
satisfactory
Organizational
Chart.

Thoroughly
described the
company basics,
including size,
mission, and
location. Student
provided a good,
clear
Organizational
Chart.
Exemplarily
described the
company basics,
including size,
mission, and
location. Student
provided an
excellent
Organizational
Chart.
2. Describe
your new Product or
Service Idea. Include
how it satisfies
customer or
community needs.
Present your Value
Proposition for the new
product or service.

Weight 30%
Did not submit or
incompletely
described
the new product or
service idea, and
how it satisfies
customer or
community needs.
Incomplete or
missing explanation
of the Value
Proposition.
Partially
described the new
product or service
idea, and how it
satisfies customer or
community needs.
Partial explanation of
the Value
Proposition.
Satisfactorily
described the new
product or service
idea, and how it
satisfies customer

or community
needs.
Satisfactory
explanation of the
Value Proposition.
Thoroughly
described the
new product or
service idea, and
how it satisfies
customer or
community
needs. Clear
explanation of
the Value
Proposition.
Exemplarily
described the
new product or
service Idea, and
how it satisfies
customer or
community
needs. Excellent
and detailed
explanation of
the Value
Proposition.
3. Explain the
Strengths,

Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and
Threats that affect your
Business Plan. Provide
a SWOT Analysis
visual, using the model
provided.
Weight: 30%
Did not submit or
incompletely
described
the Strengths,
Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and
Threats. Did not
provide an adequate
SWOT Analysis
visual.
Partially
described the
Strengths,
Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and
Threats. Provided a
partial SWOT
Analysis visual.
Satisfactorily
described the
Strengths,

Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and
Threats. Provided
a satisfactory
SWOT Analysis
visual.
Thoroughly
described the
Strengths,
Weaknesses,
Opportunities,
and Threats.
Provided a very
good SWOT
Analysis visual.
Exemplary
description of
the Strengths,
Weaknesses,
Opportunities,
and Threats.
Provided an
excellent SWOT
Analysis visual.

information and
CRITERIA Unsatisfactory Low Pass Pass High Pass Honors
4. Clarity, logic,
and writing
mechanics.
Weight: 10%
Multiple
mechanical
errors. Much
of the content is
difficult to
understand.
Fails to follow
the formatting

instructions.
The text does
not flow well.
Several
mechanical
errors. Parts of the
text are difficult
to understand. The
text does not flow
well. Writer fails
to justify his or her
conclusions
and assertions.
More than a few
mechanical
errors. Text flows
well but lacks
conciseness or
clarity. Assertions
and conclusions are
generally
justified and
explained.
Few mechanical
errors. Text flows
well. Writing
concisely
and clearly
expresses the
writer’s ideas.

Topics are
rationally and
logically
developed.
No mechanical
errors. Text
Flows very well.
Writing
concisely
and clearly
expresses the
writer’s ideas.
Topics are
developed in an
excellent and
coherent way.
information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or
in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer
University.
JWI 575 RTC – Week 3 Lecture Notes (1188) Page 1 of 5

JWI 575
New Business Ventures and Entrepreneurship
Week Three Lecture Notes
information and may not be copied, further
distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without
the expressed written permission of Strayer University.
UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION
What it Means
It is not enough to have a creative and viable big idea. You
must also have a way to differentiate your product or service
from your competitors. The best way to identify the attributes
that differentiate your product or service is to work out
the unique value proposition for your idea. To arrive at this
point, you will go through an iterative process of modifying and
refining your idea, based on the needs and desires of your
prospective customers and investors.

The unique value proposition is a brief statement describing the
core value or benefits that your product or service offers to
your customers and other stakeholders. It answers the question:
Why would a customer buy my product or service, rather
than one offered by my competitor? It highlights the features
that set your business venture apart from the competition and
enables you to separate yourself from the pack in the
marketplace.
Why it Matters
• To understand your product’s value to the business and to the
customer, look for its distinctive features
• Defining the unique value proposition helps you to modify and
refine your idea into a marketable product
• Your unique value proposition will form the basis of your
brand and support your marketing strategy
“Explain what your product does in the first
thirty seconds. Explain the problem or pain that
it addresses in the second thirty seconds.”
Guy Kawasaki

WHAT IS THE UNIQUE VALUE OF YOUR PRODUCT?
Value to the Customer
Before you can craft the unique value proposition that separates
your innovative idea from the competition, you need to
know how to define the value of your product or service to
customers. What is value? The value customers derive from any
offering – and consequently what they are willing to pay –
depends on the nature of the offering. For example, customers
will only be willing to pay once to purchase a lawnmower, but
many customers are willing to pay a monthly fee for your lawn
maintenance service. This understanding of value, in turn,
affects your business strategy and it determines how you
articulate the value of your product to your customers.
Another way to think about the customer value of a product or
service is to start with a customer need. For example, an
entrepreneur might decide to cure the common cold, and go on a
quest for various products or services that would fill that
customer need. Sometimes this happens the other way around –
an entrepreneur starts by tinkering with ideas in a

workshop, and eventually they invent something that they are
convinced will be of use to someone. So their next step is to
work out clearly who are the prospective buyers and what need
it will satisfy for those customers.
How Does Value Relate to Profit?
If your innovation is to become the basis of a successful
business, there must be some way to translate the product’s
value
into a profit for the business. Profit represents the value of the
venture to you, the owner, and to your shareholders, if you
have any. Your initial “big idea” must be modified and refined
before you can arrive at a viable business proposition that will
offer a unique benefit or value to your customers and, at the
same time, offer a profitable business opportunity for you.
The simplest business proposition for making a profit is to mark
up the product or service, so that the consumer pays more
than the cost of production. However, the profit generated by
this model is liable to be reduced as you compete with other
providers for a limited group of customers. So many businesses
use other profit models, such as the popular loss leader
strategy, in which a base product is sold at or below market cost
to stimulate sales of more profitable goods or services
linked to it.
One famous example of an innovation that used the loss leader
strategy was Gillette’s new business model for shavers,
which replaced traditional one-piece razors with a razor handle
and disposable blades. The founder, King Gillette, was
content to make a minimal profit on the consumer’s initial
purchase, the razor handle, because he knew the company would
make a substantial and ongoing profit by selling the renewable
supplies: the razor blades. This deceptively simple idea

revolutionized the whole market for shaving supplies.
Your initial “big idea” must be modified and refined before you
can arrive at a viable business proposition. One important
element of a viable proposition is that it leads to a repeatable
business model. The term repeatable refers to the recurri ng
revenue a product or service produces. This business model
represents the way in which you will get paid for providing
value to customers. It defines how you add value, for whom you
add value, and what special resources or connections you
have that put you in a good position to capture this value.
HOW TO CRAFT YOUR UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION
Understand your Customers
As you prepare to craft your unique value proposition, strive to
understand how you create value for your customer. For a
business selling to individual consumers, this involves learning

about how customers live their daily lives, and identifying the
product features that they find important. Study your target
audience through market research, surveys, focus groups, and
other such tools. Gain an understanding of what product
features your prospective customers value the most.
Your research should enable you to identify the top two or three
features that would persuade your prospective customers
to change to a new product or service. It might be ease of use,
superior customer service, advanced features, convenient
shopping or shipping options, or some other factor. For
example, if you are selling a TV remote, senior citizens are
likely to
prioritize ease of use and large buttons over advanced features.
But teenage gamers would probably prefer advanced
features and be less concerned about the size of the controls or
ease of use. Senior citizens might prefer to buy locally, so
that the seller can show them in person how to use the gadget.
Teenagers will likely want to buy the gadget online and they
will appreciate quick delivery and cheap shipping costs. It is
therefore vital that you understand which audience you are
targeting, and design the product to maximize the value for your
intended customer segment.
Address the Customer’s Needs
Like an elevator speech, a unique value proposition should be
short and succinct. It should state clearly and briefly
what your product does, as well as explaining what problem it
solves for the customer. Let’s look at a couple of sample
unique value propositions and see how they do this.
Ø In this example, you provide a service that shreds documents
for other businesses. Your unique value proposition
might be: “We save you time, money and headaches, by

preventing your confidential information from falling into
the wrong hands.”
Ø In this example, you own a business that manufactures and
installs solar panels. Your value proposition might be:
“Our solar panels allow you to generate your own electricity,
reducing your electricity bill by 25% or more. And we
guarantee hassle-free, prompt installation with a one-year
warranty.”
What do these two examples have in common? Both clearly
address the needs, goals and preferences of the customers.
Both define the key function of the Think like your buyer, and
you are in a good position to express the unique value of your
product or service. The best way to craft a persuasive, winning
value proposition is to understand what your customer will
value the most about your product or service. Then craft a brief
statement that addresses your customers’ needs and
concerns directly.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THIS WEEK’S CLASS

As you read the materials and participate in class activities, stay
focused on the key learning outcomes for the week:
• Understand the concept of a unique value proposition
A unique value proposition identifies the features of your
product or service that are special and distinctive. Since it
expresses how your product or service will satisfy the needs and
desires of your buyers, it must be built on an
understanding of the customer. Who are the people or
organizations that will buy your product or service? What are
their needs, goals and preferences? Are they buying your
product or service for home or business purposes? What
matters the most to them when making purchases for this type
of product or service?
• Learn how to differentiate your product from the competition
What does your product do better for customers than other
similar products? How does your service provide more
convenience than other providers? In other words, what
differentiates your company from the competition? What
features do your customers care about the most? How can you
design your product or service so that those
features match your customers’ preferences? What pricing
model will you use to make a profit for your company?
How can you persuade your buyers that they are receiving good
value, so that they will buy at the price point you
have chosen to set for your product?

• Define the value of your “big idea” and identify opportunities
and threats
What is the value that you can deliver to customers with a
product or service based on your “big idea”? What
opportunity does your innovation present for improving the
customer experience? What key customer needs or
desires does it fulfill? What significant customer worries or
concerns does it relieve? What threats do you anticipate,
from competitors or the business environment? How will you
overcome these challenges? How can you summarize
your unique value proposition in a brief statement that will
appeal to your prospective buyers and simultaneously
impress your other stakeholders?

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