Running head: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 1 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2 Name Training and Development in Small Businesses BUS 407 Professor Thomas Swinney February 1, 2015 Abstract State the problem, your method of finding the answer (literature review), what you found, and your conclusions. This is written after the paper so it is in the past tense. No more than 250 words. Training and Development in Small Business Revelations hair salon is a salon with 20 employees. They have been going through a lot of changes, business has been slow and the owner is concerned that they may have to close the salon. The owner reached out to me to come in and try to see where I can help to get business back on track. He believes that the employees may need some training even though they have the KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and attitude) to do their jobs. Analyze Key Elements of Training and Development Geared Toward Improving the Performance of the Specific Small Business for Which you are Consulting Adequately mention the items from the text required for this question: motivation; knowledge, skills, abilities; and the environment Predict Three to Five (3-5) Potential Challenges That the Managers or Owners of the Business Could Face in Addressing Organizational Performance Discuss adequately the items from the text required for this question: demographics, competition, knowledge workers, or customer’s demands for quality products and services Justify the Effects of Detecting Organizational Gaps in Small Business, Providing Examples to Explain the Rationale Mention adequately the items from the text required for this question: Actual performance versus expected performance; to train or not to train; motivation, knowledge, and the environment; organizational goals, labor, organizational climate, efficiency, changing systems, or changing management, or MBO. A gap analysis discloses what is keeping a business from meeting its full potential, is performed for a company as a whole or focused on one department or business area (Berman). In either case, it alerts management to departmental areas of underperformance, whether the issues related to external challenges or internal inefficiencies. Allowing developing a strategy to eliminate the gap and maximize company profits small businesses conduct a gap analysis in an attempt to link the disconnect between the current state of the business and the company's vision, for now and in long-term planning. Comparisons can come against stated goals, accepted industry standards, and any regulation requirements. The company's first step would be to analyze their current state. Get current operational data, and if necessary, interview a representative sample of employees. It is necessary for companies to mark efficiencies by both internal benchmarks and industry standards. Some businesses hire an outside group to conduct a gap analysis in an effort to keep bias from influenc ...

1. Running head: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 1
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2
Name
Training and Development in Small Businesses
BUS 407
Professor Thomas Swinney
February 1, 2015
Abstract
State the problem, your method of finding the answer (literature
review), what you found, and your conclusions. This is written
after the paper so it is in the past tense. No more than 250
words.

2. Training and Development in Small Business
Revelations hair salon is a salon with 20 employees. They
have been going through a lot of changes, business has been
slow and the owner is concerned that they may have to close the
salon. The owner reached out to me to come in and try to see
where I can help to get business back on track. He believes that
the employees may need some training even though they have
the KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and attitude) to do their jobs.
Analyze Key Elements of Training and Development Geared
Toward Improving the Performance of the Specific Small
Business for Which you are Consulting
Adequately mention the items from the text required for
this question: motivation; knowledge, skills, abilities; and the
environment
Predict Three to Five (3-5) Potential Challenges That the
Managers or Owners of the Business Could Face in Addressing
Organizational Performance
Discuss adequately the items from the text required for
this question: demographics, competition, knowledge workers,

3. or customer’s demands for quality products and services
Justify the Effects of Detecting Organizational Gaps in Small
Business, Providing Examples to Explain the Rationale
Mention adequately the items from the text required for
this question: Actual performance versus expected
performance; to train or not to train; motivation, knowledge,
and the environment; organizational goals, labor, organizational
climate, efficiency, changing systems, or changing management,
or MBO.
A gap analysis discloses what is keeping a business from
meeting its full potential, is performed for a company as a
whole or focused on one department or business area (Berman).
In either case, it alerts management to departmental areas of
underperformance, whether the issues related to external
challenges or internal inefficiencies. Allowing developing a
strategy to eliminate the gap and maximize company profits
small businesses conduct a gap analysis in an attempt to link the
disconnect between the current state of the business and the
company's vision, for now and in long-term planning.
Comparisons can come against stated goals, accepted industry
standards, and any regulation requirements. The company's
first step would be to analyze their current state. Get current
operational data, and if necessary, interview a representative
sample of employees. It is necessary for companies to mark
efficiencies by both internal benchmarks and industry standards.
Some businesses hire an outside group to conduct a gap analysis
in an effort to keep bias from influencing the results (Berman,
2015, p. 215).
After identifying the gaps, they must identify the potential
causes for them. A few of these gaps may end up being from
internal inefficiencies. A company may have a strategic
objective of being the quickest business to market a product.
To find that projects are continually suffering delays by failing
to complete tasks as quickly as they should (Zomorodi, 2012, p.
123). A company may find that their employees do not have the
proper competitive skills needed to compete against better-

4. trained rivals, or that the communication between departments
is inadequate. These are all issues that can be addressed by
changing the company’s internal operations (Zomorodi, 2012, p.
134). The other gaps may be from the results of an inadequate
response to the external environment. There might be a
difference in the company's product range. An example of this
would be something that keeps the company from serving a
segment of the market. They could find that they are not selling
to the correct markets, or that their visions of international
success are not being reflected on the balance sheet.
These are issues not necessarily associated with the business
process, but rather indications that it is not serving marketplace
demands adequately. The company must now turn to the task of
figuring out how to correct the gap to reach optimal levels.
Addressing systemic factors responsible for the suboptimal state
is necessary. Although, some of these fixes might be relatively
straightforward, such as getting employees the appropriate
training and skills needed to bridge the gap, internal repairs
may be required, such as rearranging their sales territories to
reflect market realities or to integrate work processes to lower
cost structure. Another approach may require looking outside
the organization, possibly by forming an alliance with another
business to market a gap product, instead of spending the
unnecessary resources to develop one itself.
Propose a Competitive Training Strategy That Will Improve the
Position of the Business in the Market. The Strategy Should
Include, at a Minimum, an Agenda of Training Activities,
Rationale for Instructional Strategies Used, and the Return on
Investment (ROI) That Will be Gained From the Strategy you
Have Developed
Adequately answer the question as directed, training strategy
proposed, agenda was created, so rationale for what was on the
agenda was created, or there was mention or evidence of ROI
present.

5. References
Three or more references from journals ONLY for highest
grade. See APA announcements and emails for correct
formatting.
Math 123 Quantitative Reasoning Project Spring 2016
Financial Project
Due:
As an Ivy Tech student, you are making an investment in your
education. This project will look at how that investment will
pay off if you graduate and get a job in your desired field.
Assume that the median annual income for a high school
graduate is $25,000. This is the value that you will be
comparing your expected salary and lifestyle to in the following
areas:
1.) Income Comparison: Research your expected income after
you graduate college. Assume you obtain whatever level of

6. education needed to enter your desired area of employment and
that you will have a salary equivalent to the annual Median
salary found at: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_in.htm#27-
0000 *You will need to click on your desired career in order to
see the Annual Median wage.
· Your reflection paper should explain what your desired area of
employment is and what the median annual salary for that
position is.
· Your reflection paper should contain at least one statement
comparing your expected salary with that of the median income
of a high school graduate.
2.) Housing Comparison: Assume that you and your high school
graduate counterpart plan to spend 28% of your gross income on
house payments. Look up the current fixed rate APR for
mortgages and use Excel to determine the largest value of a
house that each of you can afford under those conditions.
· Your reflection paper should contain at least one statement
comparing the value of the house that a high school graduate
can afford and that you expect to be able to afford.
· Explain in your reflection paper what Excel function was used
for these calculations. Cite what source you used to find
mortgage rates.
· Research housing costs in an area where you would like to
live, will your future salary allow you to afford the house you
want? Cite what source you used to find housing costs.
· Reflect on the values you found. Do these values meet your
needs and expectations, or should you consider other housing
options?
3.) Retirement Comparison: Assume that your 401k investments
will earn a 7% annual return and that you will set aside 5% of

7. your gross monthly income for 401k investment. Use Excel to
determine the balance on such a 401k after 40 years of
investment for the high school graduate and for your expected
income. Financial planners recommend having 70% of your
gross annual income to live off of for each year in retirement.
How many years will you and your high school counterpart’s
401k savings last, if you use the 70% recommendation?
· Your reflection paper should contain at least one statement
comparing the value of the 401k investment of the high school
graduate and for your expected salary.
· Explain in your reflection paper what Excel function was used
for these calculations.
· Determine how long you and the high school graduate will be
able to live on your 401k savings and explain how you
determined this.
· Reflect on the values you found, do these values meet your
expectations, or will you change your investment strategy?
4.) Raises: The high school graduate’s income is not expected to
increase over the next five years, but assume that your field will
guarantee you a 2.5% raise on your annual salary each year for
the next five years. Determine what your new annual salary will
be given these five years of raises. Using this new income,
recalculate the mortgage from part 2. Also recalculate the 40
year 401k information from part 3 using this new income (use
the new income and 40 years for this, don’t worry about the
complication of 5 years of changes).
· Your reflection paper should contain at least one statement
comparing your initial salary with the salary after 5 years of
raises.
· Your paper should explain how you determined the increased
salary.

8. · Your paper should address how your increased salary might
impact your mortgage and 401k values.
Project Checklist:
· Explanation of career choice and the salary for this career.
· Comparison of your expected salary vs. a hs graduate.
· Comparison of house you could afford with expected salary
vs. hs grad.
· Explanation of how house value was determined.
· Reflection on the housing costs and actual house values.
· Comparison of 401k value you would expect vs. hs grad.
· Explanation of how the 401k value is determined.
· Reflect on the balance of your 401k; will this amount support
you in retirement?
· Comparison of length of time you and the hs grad will be able
to live on the 401k.
· Explanation of how the length of retirement is determined.
· Comparison of starting salary to salary after 5 years of raises.
· Explanation of how increased salary is determined.
· Discussion of how the increased salary might affect mortgage
and 401k values. Including specific quantities.
· Paper should be elegant and coherent with a logical
organization.
· Paper should be free of grammatical and mechanical errors.
· Paper must contain some relative change statements.
· Paper should be submitted via Blackboard on time.
In addition to addressing the statements above, your project
should:
· Contain your name, course name and project name.
· Be well organized and easy to follow.
· The paper should be in paragraph form (not just bulleted
answers!).
· Be clear to by someone who is not familiar with the project.
· Provide support for your statements e.g. explain how values
were found.
· Give specific values (i. e. quantify statements).

9. · Use appropriate representations (tables, color, formatting) that
helps the reader understand the project.
· Contain a variety of comparison statements, including the use
of relative change sentences.
These instructions cover the MINIMUM expectations of this
project. Students are encouraged to make additions beyond
these items.
Assignment 1: Training and Development in Small Businesses
Due Week 4 and worth 240 points
Select a small business with which you are familiar. Imagine
that you have been called into that business to provide a
consultation on training. Create a comprehensive training
proposal for the business.
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:
1. Analyze key elements of training and development geared
toward improving the performance of the specific small
business for which you are consulting.
2. Predict three to five (3-5) potential challenges that the
managers or owners of the business could face in addressing
organizational performance.
3. Justify the effects of detecting organizational gaps in small
business, providing examples to explain the rationale.
4. Propose a competitive training strategy that will improve the
position of the business in the market. The strategy should
include, at a minimum, an agenda of training activities,
rationale for instructional strategies used, and the return on
investment (ROI) that will be gained from the strategy you have
developed.
5. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this
assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not
qualify as academic resources
6. Format your assignment according to the following
formatting requirements:
a. Typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size
12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

10. b. Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment,
the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and
the date. The cover page is not included in the required page
length.
c. Include a reference page. Citations and references must
follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the
required page length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this
assignment are:
· Analyze concepts, meanings, and trends in training.
· Justify the importance of aligning training with organizational
strategy.
· Evaluate theories associated with learning, motivation, and
employee performance.
· Use technology and information resources to research issues in
training and development.
· Write clearly and concisely about training and development
using proper writing mechanics.
Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.