Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT
1
BUISNESS RESEARCH PROJECT
4
Team “D”: Business Research Project Part 1
Mercee Walls, Victoria Connor, Benjamin Moore, Chris Weimer, Franky Segarra,
QNT/ 561
May 16, 2016
Kal Oliai
Introduction
The requisite degree for any successful entrepreneur consultant is a Master of Business Administration (MBA). The team assignment for week two challenges Team "D" to build a platform that will use research, probability, and statistical data to provide their client the information necessary to make a sound business decision. One Productions: a small business located in Carlsbad, CA is the client chosen by the team (One Productions, 2016). One Production produces video products to support their customer's advertising and branding requirements. Additionally, One Productions is a fully staffed movie production operation. One Production has a business communications problem; their phones are old and require an upgrade to support communications with employees and potential clients, nationally, and internationally. The business owners are generationally baby boomers and have held on to their phones because they still work. Their belief is that a phone is used to speak with people and that's it. The ongoing technology boom with smartphones has apparently evaded the attention of the business owners.
The team must provide a cross-platform smartphone multi-function option that fits within the client's capital budget. The team is researching Samsung's new smartphone model and Apple's new iPhone. While each of these phones provides the necessary capability to support the client's requirements, there can be only one that garners the recommendation from the team of consultants. The role of a consultant is vital in providing the necessary research data to the client so they can make an informed and prudent business decision.
Research Questions & Variables
The primary research question is as follows: Which phone is more cost effective, Apple or Samsung? Team D will also explore a secondary research question: Which phone offers the user more functionality, Apple or Samsung? Both independent and dependent variables will be considered to conduct the necessary research and collect relevant data. Age will act as the independent variable. The age of each user will identify phone usage by categorizing users into various age groups and assist Team D in determining what role, if any, age plays in the choice or ability to use either Apple or Samsung phones. The remaining variables: applications, cost, and accessories are all dependent variables. Applications will determine which phone has the capability to provide and perform more functions than the other. Accessories will contribute to the team’s recommendation to the client and is an integral part of the final business decision of which phone is better suited to meet One Production’s business needs. While similar accessories may be avai ...
Making communications land - Are they received and understood as intended? we...
Running head BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT 1BUISNESS RESEARCH.docx
1. Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT
1
BUISNESS RESEARCH PROJECT
4
Team “D”: Business Research Project Part 1
Mercee Walls, Victoria Connor, Benjamin Moore, Chris
Weimer, Franky Segarra,
QNT/ 561
May 16, 2016
Kal Oliai
2. Introduction
The requisite degree for any successful entrepreneur consultant
is a Master of Business Administration (MBA). The team
assignment for week two challenges Team "D" to build a
platform that will use research, probability, and statistical data
to provide their client the information necessary to make a
sound business decision. One Productions: a small business
located in Carlsbad, CA is the client chosen by the team (One
Productions, 2016). One Production produces video products to
support their customer's advertising and branding requirements.
Additionally, One Productions is a fully staffed movie
production operation. One Production has a business
communications problem; their phones are old and require an
upgrade to support communications with employees and
potential clients, nationally, and internationally. The business
owners are generationally baby boomers and have held on to
their phones because they still work. Their belief is that a
phone is used to speak with people and that's it. The ongoing
technology boom with smartphones has apparently evaded the
attention of the business owners.
The team must provide a cross-platform smartphone multi-
function option that fits within the client's capital budget. The
team is researching Samsung's new smartphone model and
Apple's new iPhone. While each of these phones provides the
necessary capability to support the client's requirements, there
can be only one that garners the recommendation from the team
of consultants. The role of a consultant is vital in providing the
necessary research data to the client so they can make an
3. informed and prudent business decision.
Research Questions & Variables
The primary research question is as follows: Which phone is
more cost effective, Apple or Samsung? Team D will also
explore a secondary research question: Which phone offers the
user more functionality, Apple or Samsung? Both independent
and dependent variables will be considered to conduct the
necessary research and collect relevant data. Age will act as the
independent variable. The age of each user will identify phone
usage by categorizing users into various age groups and assist
Team D in determining what role, if any, age plays in the choice
or ability to use either Apple or Samsung phones. The
remaining variables: applications, cost, and accessories are all
dependent variables. Applications will determine which phone
has the capability to provide and perform more functions than
the other. Accessories will contribute to the team’s
recommendation to the client and is an integral part of the final
business decision of which phone is better suited to meet One
Production’s business needs. While similar accessories may be
available for both types of phones, each will have unique
abilities and differences from the other. There are times when
the cost can act as both an independent and dependent variable
(Elements of Research: Variables, 2016). In this case, the cost
represents a dependent variable that will highlight the
differences of each phones specification and functionality.
Hypothesis Statements
The team’s initial hypothesis statement is: Samsung phones are
more cost effective than Apple phones. Our second hypothesis
statement is: Apple phones are more functional for the user than
Samsung phones.
Conclusion
Team D concludes that the research will provide data that either
supports or refutes each hypothesis; although an inconclusive
result is possible. In the event of inconclusive results, a
business decision can be determined by qualitative results. The
hypothesis statements that Samsung phones are more cost
4. effective; and Apple phones offer users more functionality are
paramount to discovery during the research portion of this
assignment. The team’s role as a consultant is to provide
accurate research data to One Production; they must decide if
their capital budget is their primary concern, and which phone
best meets their growing business needs.
References
One Productions. (2016). One Productions Facebook. Retrieved
from https://www.facebook.com/oneproductionsweb
Elements of Research: Variables. (2016). Retrieved from
http://ori.hhs.gov/education/products/sdsu/variables.htm
5. Evaluating Corporate Bonds (37)Name:Date:September 13,
201537Evaluating Corporate BondsPurpose: To determine if a
specific corporate bond can help you attain your financial
goals.Instructions: No checklist can serve as a foolproof guide
for choosing a corporate bond. However, the following
questions will help you evaluate a potential bond
investment.Suggested Web
sites:finance.yahoo.com/education/bondbondsonline.cominvesti
nginbonds.commoney.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101
/lesson7/index.htmapps.finra.org/investor_Information/smart/bo
nds/000100.aspCategory 1: Information about the
Corporation17. Is the bond secured with collateral? If so,
what?Your Personal Financial PlanYesNo1. What is the
corporation's name, address andType of collateral:phone
number?Name:Category 3: Financial
PerformanceAddress:Phone:18. What are the firm's earnings per
share for the last2. What types of products or services does
thisyear?firm provide ?19. Have the firm's earnings increased
over thepast five years?3. Briefly describe the prospects for this
company.20. What are the firm's projected earnings for
the(Include significant factors like product development,next
year?plans for expansion, plans for mergers, etc.)21. Does your
analysis indicate that this is a good ideato invest in this
company? Why or why not?Category 2: Bond Basics4. What
type of bond is this?22. Briefly describe any other information
that youobtained from Moody's, Standard & Poor's, or5. What is
the face value for this bond?other source of information.6. What
is the interest rate for this bond?7. What is the dollar amount of
annual interest for thisbond?$0.008. When are interest payments
made to bondholders?9. Is the corporation currently paying
interest asA Word of Cautionscheduled?YesNo10. What is the
maturity date for this bond?The above checklist is not a cure-
all, but it doesprovide some very sound questions that you
should11. What is Moody's rating for this bond?answer before
making a decision to invest in bonds.If you need other
6. information, you are responsible12. What is Standard & Poor's
rating for this bond?for obtaining it and for determining how it
affectsyour potential investment.13. What do these ratings
mean?14. What was the original issue date?15. Who is the
trustee for this bond issue?16. Is the bond callable? If so,
when?Callable:Date:
bondsonline.com
bondsonline.com
finance.yahoo.com/education/bond
finance.yahoo.com/education/bond
investinginbonds.com
money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson7/index.
htm
apps.finra.org/investor_Information/smart/bonds/000100.asp
Title
ABC/123 Version X
1
Week 3 Problems
FIN/420 Version 4
1
University of Phoenix MaterialWeek 3 Problems
1. Complete Worksheet 37 in Focus on Personal Finance, “Your
Financial Plan – Evaluating Corporate Bonds,” using the
Mergent Bond Viewer database (You can find this database in
the Library Tab. Go to the University Library, and then click
“View All Resources Alphabetically.” You will find the
Mergent Bond Viewer database there.) or other reliable source
for Apple Inc’s bond maturing in 05/13/2045.
2. Explain the principle of asset allocation. Using the Internet
or library research, prepare a 2-minute presentation describing
why the principle of asset allocation is important when
establishing an investment program.
7. 3. Assume you are 59 years old, want to retire in 6 years, and
currently have an investment portfolio valued at $550,000
invested in technology stocks. After talking with friends and
relatives, you have decided that you have “too many eggs in one
basket.” Based on this information, use the asset allocation
method described in this chapter and use the following table to
diversify your investment portfolio. Then answer the following
two questions:
· What are the advantages of asset allocation?
· How could the time your investments have to work for you and
your age affect your asset allocation?
What is the recommended asset allocation for this 59 year old
person? (Show in the chart below.)
Investment Category
(Asset Class)
% Allocated
Comments: What is this asset class expected to contribute to the
portfolio? (i.e.: growth, income, safety, diversification, etc.)
Large-cap stocks
Mid-cap stocks
Small-cap stocks
Foreign stocks
Government bonds
Corporate bonds
9. Due on
S
unday
the
22
nd
Complete
the Week 3 Problem Set as instructed in the Word document.
Note that there are 3 tasks in this assignment:
1. An excel spreadsheet to evaluate a bond. The template
(worksheet 37) is provided.
2. A PowerPoint
presentation of 2 to 3 slides for problem 2.
3. Complete problem 3 in the document provided.
Week 3 Problem Worksheet
Due on Sunday the 22
nd
Complete the Week 3 Problem Set as instructed in the Word
document.
Note that there are 3 tasks in this assignment:
1. An excel spreadsheet to evaluate a bond. The template
(worksheet 37) is provided.
2. A PowerPoint presentation of 2 to 3 slides for problem 2.
10. 3. Complete problem 3 in the document provided.
Title
ABC/123 Version X
1
Week 3 Learning Team Problems
FIN/420 Version 5
1
University of Phoenix MaterialWeek 3 Learning Team Problems
Complete the following problems as a team: Due on Saturday
the 21st
· Assume that you are choosing an investment for your retired
parents. What are the advantages and disadvanges of each of the
following?
a bond issued by the federal government,
a state or local government,
or a corporation?
· Which would you recommend for your retired parents? Justify
your answer.
· Five years ago, you purchased a $1,000 corporate bond issued
by General Electric. The interest rate for the bond was 5%.
Comparable bonds are paying 6% today.
What is the approximate dollar price for which you could sell
your General Electric bond?
In your own words, describe why your bond decreased in value.
· Sidney took a $200 cash advance by using checks linked to her
credit card account. The bank charges a 2% cash advance fee on
the amount borrowed and offers no grace period on cash
advances. Sidney paid the balance in full when the bill arrived.
What was the cash advance fee?
What was the interest for 1 month at an 18% APR?
What was the total amount she paid?
12. Which would you recommend for your retired parents? Justify
your answer.
REWORDING THESE PARAGRAPHS IN YOUR OWN
WORDS AND DO NOT USE THE SAME EXACT WORDS AS
IN THE PARAGRAPHS.
Focus on Personal Finance, Ch. 4
· 1-The reading explained the financial services that are
available and how to organize what's avail be to aide to your
daily needs. I really enjoy the self-assessments at the begging
of the reading, because it gives us a personal touch to the
material. Depending what the financial goals are, it is
important to understand the difference in savings accounts
versus the investments that are available that can help someone
get to their financial goals as soon as possible. The next part
would be the actual financial services; some banks charge for
ATM fees, so if you find that you are pulling money from
ATM's regularly then this may be a factor for you to consider.
At the end of the day, when your financial plan is set up there
are tools that need to be researched to be utilized at the highest
potential.
Focus on Personal Finance, Ch. 12
· 2-I do not think penny stocks are worth the investment. They
typically cost less than a dollar but can also be between 1 and 5
dollars. I think of stocks as a gamble. So the more you gamble
with the more you could win. And in most cases, the more of a
risk you take the more of a potential return. However in this
case penny stocks are risker without a good potential return.
Plus even if it does pay, it probably will not be much. Also,
penny stocks do not have the same benefits or any guarantees.
13. Focus on Personal Finance, Ch. 13
· 3-A loaded mutual fund is a mutual fund that changes the
investor a fee. Fees can be front-loaded and back-loaded. A
front loaded mutual funds charges a sale price on the
shares purchased. A back loaded mutual fund charges a fee
when shares are withdrawn, and this fee is usually a percentage
of the value of the shares that the investor sells. Every mutual
fund is required to provide a prospectus to investors. The nature
of the fee and the fee amount will be disclosed in the prospectus
· Assessment Activity - Common Stock
· 4-Ethics is in a broad sense, preferring right over wrong, or
preferring a certain set of values over others. Being a logical
decision-maker, fear, uncertainty and doubt are considered, in
some cases, to actually stall or delay a decision. Ethics is a
powerful action, but when it comes to the risk of investment, I
would choose to invest in the tobacco company. Tobacco is a
high-volume commodity and is not going away. All investments
involve some degree of risk. Common stockholders are on the
bottom of the priority ladder for ownership structure. In the
event of liquidation, common shareholders have rights to a
company's assets only after bondholders, preferred shareholders
and other debt holders have been paid in full. If the company
goes bankrupt, the common stockholders will not receive their
money until the creditors and preferred shareholders have
received their respective share of the leftover assets. This
makes common stock riskier than debt or preferred shares. The
upside to common shares is that they usually outperform bonds
and preferred shares in the long run.
Understanding the Bond Market
· 5-This video about understanding the bond market was very
informative, and putting your money into bonds can be risky
14. depending on the type. Bonds are basically IOU's from the
government and big companies that need to borrow money.
Bonds have four categories U.S. Government bonds, state and
local bonds, corporate bonds and mortgage backed bonds. The
U.S. government bonds and the state and local bonds come with
less risk, the government bonds are low because they are backed
by the government. The corporate and mortgage backed bonds
are more riskier, because if the company goes bankrupt or the
borrower of the mortgage bond don't pay back you can lose out
on your money
Understanding the Stock Market
· 6-A share of stock is literally a share in the ownership of a
company. When you buy a share of stock, you're entitled to a
small fraction of the assets and earnings of that company.
Assets include everything the company owns (buildings,
equipment, trademarks), and earnings are all of the money the
company brings in from selling its products and services. The
disadvantage of borrowing money is that the company has to
pay back the loan with interest. By selling stock, however, the
company gets money with fewer strings attached. There is no
interest to pay and no requirement to even pay the money back
at all. Even better, equity financing distributes the risk of doing
business among a large pool of investors (stockholders). If the
company fails, the founders don't lose all of their money; they
lose several thousand smaller chunks of other people's money.
Types of Savings Accounts
· 7-Regular Savings Accounts Similar to checking accounts
without the check-writing abilities, regular savings accounts are
offered at nearly every bank for easy sign-up in person, over the
phone, or even online. Although regular savings accounts
usually require a higher minimum balance requirement, most
banks allow you to link it with your checking account for easy
15. transfers. Money Market Accounts Since money market
accounts are insured by the FDIC, there is virtually no risk
involved in this investment. While most money market deposit
accounts will require you to hand over a higher minimum
balance at anywhere from $100 to $2,500, the interest will be
significantly higher than regular savings accounts. It is
important to note that money market accounts do have a limit on
how many withdrawals that you can make monthly. Certificates
of Deposit (CDs) Another popular form of savings accounts is
certificates of deposit (CDs), which are savings certificates that
allow individuals to receive interest periodically over the
lifetime of their investment. Available at most banks with FDIC
insurance, CDs have maturity dates that can range from just one
month to five years, with longer terms usually paying the
highest interest rates. In exchange for having a higher fixed
interest rate with a CD, you will have restrictions on when you
are able to withdraw. If you take money out before it has
reached maturity, you will likely need to pay a small penalty
charge.
Retirement Accounts and Investment Options
8- The three main asset classes include stocks (equities), bonds
(fixed income), and cash and cash equivalents, and each has
different levels of risk and return. Finding the balance that is
most appropriate for your own situation takes time and effort.
Planning for a comfortable retirement is a long-term process
that requires time, effort and carefully considered decisions.
Understanding the various retirement investments - from
annuities to stocks and everything in between - is an important
part of the process. As with all investments, it is important to
consider an investment's advantages, disadvantages, risks and
rewards before making any decisions
16. I need to answer this question for my class.
THIS ASSIGNMENT IS
Due on
Saturday the 21
st
.
BY 8PM NEW YORK TIME.
1
-
What are the advantages to an investor who chooses mutual
fund investments over direct
investments in stocks and bonds?
·
2
-
Assume that you are choosing an investment for your retired
17. parents.
What are the
advantages and disadvanges of each of the following?
o
a bond issued by the federal government,
o
a state or local government,
o
or a corporation?
·
Which would you recommend for your retired parents?
Justify your answer.
REWORDING
THESE PARAGR
A
PHS IN YOUR OWN WORDS AND DO NOT USE THE SAME
EXACT WORDS AS IN THE PARAG
RA
PHS
.
18. Focus on Personal Finance, Ch. 4
o
1
-
The reading explained the financial services that are available
and how to organize what's
avail
be to aide to your daily need
s.
I really enjoy the
self
-
assessments
at the begging of the
reading, because it gives us a personal touch to the material.
Depending what the financial
goals are, it is important to understand the difference in savings
accounts versus the
investments th
at are available that can help someone get to their financial
goals as soon as
possible.
The next part would be the actual financial services; some
banks charge for ATM
fees, so if you find that you are pulling money from ATM's
19. regularly then this may be
a factor
for you to consider.
At the end of the day, when your financial plan is set up there
are tools that need to be
researched to be utilized at the highest potential.
Focus on Personal Finance, Ch. 12
§
2
-
I do not think penny stocks are worth the investment. They
typically cost less than a dollar
but can also be between 1 and 5 dollars. I think of stocks as a
gamble. So the more you
gamble with the more you could win. And in most cases, the
more of a risk y
ou take the
more of a potential return. However in this case penny stocks
are risker without a good
potential return. Plus even if it does pay, it probably will not be
much. Also, penny stocks do
not have the same benefits or any guarantees.
I need to answer this question for my class. THIS
ASSIGNMENT IS Due on
Saturday the 21
st
. BY 8PM NEW YORK TIME.
20. 1-What are the advantages to an investor who chooses mutual
fund investments over direct
investments in stocks and bonds?
-Assume that you are choosing an investment for your
retired parents. What are the
advantages and disadvanges of each of the following?
o a bond issued by the federal government,
o a state or local government,
o or a corporation?
Justify your answer.
REWORDING THESE PARAGRAPHS IN YOUR OWN
WORDS AND DO NOT USE THE SAME
EXACT WORDS AS IN THE PARAGRAPHS.
Focus on Personal Finance, Ch. 4
o 1-The reading explained the financial services that are
available and how to organize what's
avail be to aide to your daily needs. I really enjoy the self-
assessments at the begging of the
reading, because it gives us a personal touch to the material.
Depending what the financial
goals are, it is important to understand the difference in savings
21. accounts versus the
investments that are available that can help someone get to their
financial goals as soon as
possible. The next part would be the actual financial services;
some banks charge for ATM
fees, so if you find that you are pulling money from ATM's
regularly then this may be a factor
for you to consider.
At the end of the day, when your financial plan is set up there
are tools that need to be
researched to be utilized at the highest potential.
Focus on Personal Finance, Ch. 12
-I do not think penny stocks are worth the investment. They
typically cost less than a dollar
but can also be between 1 and 5 dollars. I think of stocks as a
gamble. So the more you
gamble with the more you could win. And in most cases, the
more of a risk you take the
more of a potential return. However in this case penny stocks
are risker without a good
potential return. Plus even if it does pay, it probably will not be
much. Also, penny stocks do
not have the same benefits or any guarantees.
