CCBS4020 Integrated Project Final Business Plan Structure and Guidelines
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THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
HKU SPACE Community College
Integrated Project (CCBS 4020)
2024-25 Semester 2
Final Business Plan Structure and Guidelines
I. Assessment Weighting
• This Final Business Plan is a group assessment and contributes 40% to your total course
mark.
II. Report Structure and Guidelines
a) Executive Summary (between one and two pages)
• Describe the market size, growth rate, trends, and competitive landscape. Use data and
statistics to support the analysis. Highlight why this market is attractive and what
opportunities exist for new entrants.
• Explain how the business’s products and services meet the market needs and
differentiate from competitors. Focus on unique selling points and value propositions.
Discuss how the products/services solve customer problems or fulfil needs better than
others.
• Introduce key team members and their roles. Emphasize relevant experience and skills.
Mention any notable achievements or qualifications that make the team capable of
executing the business plan.
• Include key financial metrics such as projected revenue, profit margins, and return on
investment (ROI). Use realistic and well-supported financial data. Explain the
assumptions behind projections and how the business plans to achieve financial goals.
• Discuss both short-term and long-term goals. Be clear about key milestones and
expansion plans. Explain how the business will adapt to changing market conditions
and continue to grow.
b) Description of the Business
• State the name of the business. Provide a one-sentence explanation for choosing this
name.
• Write a concise statement (maximum 30 words) that clearly defines what the business
is and what it does, focusing on the core mission and primary activities.
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• Craft a concise mission statement (maximum 30 words) that clearly articulates the
purpose.
• Craft a clear vision statement (maximum 30 words) that articulates the purpose.
• Craft a brief statement outlining the business values, including the guiding principles
that support these values.
• Summarize day-to-day activities, highlighting customer interactions and operational
processes. Include three societal objectives with key metrics that correspond to each
objective and explain the desired outcomes over the next 1 to 3 years.
c) Competitive Advantage
• Our Competitive Position
• Identify which of the generic strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, or focus)
the company will pursue. Clearly state the chosen strategy.
• Explain why the company is making this choice. Support arguments with relevant
data and numbers. Consider factors such as market conditions, target audience, and
competitive advantages.
• Highlight three primary competitors, detailing their strengths and weaknesses,
and explain how the business will differentiate itself from them. Use specific
examples to show where the business stands in the market and highlight the gap the
company aims to fill.
• Develop a positioning map that places the business alongside primary competitors,
reflecting the chosen competitive strategy.
• Describe how sustainability will be built into the business plan. Focus on strategies
that ensure long-term success and stability.
• Provide a detailed explanation of why the business will have a future. Consider
factors such as market trends, competitive advantages, financial planning, and
customer retention strategies.
• Present a summary of the PESTLE analysis, highlighting the key issues that will
provide future opportunities and threats for the business. Focus on the most
significant political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental
factors. Ensure the summary references the Environmental Analysis Report to
provide context and support for the analysis.
• Present a summary of the SWOT analysis, highlighting awareness of the realism of
the position. Clearly outline strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Explain how strengths will be used to address identified opportunities, threats, and
weaknesses. Provide specific strategies and examples to demonstrate the approach.
Ensure the summary references the Environmental Analysis Report to provide
context and support for the analysis.
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d) Marketing and Promotion Plans
• Market Analysis
• Define the “want” or “need” the business is addressing.
• Describe target customers in as much detail as possible.
• Present comprehensive market research findings, including at least 100 market
survey results detailing target customers' key demographic and psychographic
profiles, as well as their product and service preferences. Demonstrate the need for
the products and services. Include research results and calculations to describe the
size and growth trends of the chosen market, informing strategic and promotional
marketing plans.
• Strategic Marketing Plan:
• Define three specific marketing objectives, establishing key metrics that
correspond to each objective. Explain the desired outcomes of the marketing
strategy over the next 1 to 3 years.
• Identify and describe target market segments. Explain the importance of these
segments for the business.
• Describe the market positioning of the business. Explain what makes the business
unique and how it will be differentiated from competitors.
• Outline the approach to the 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) in the strategic
plan. Explain how each element will contribute to achieving marketing objectives.
i. Product: State the products and services offered. Describe three key
characteristics of the products and services intended to be offered. List
and briefly explain the factors that will make these products and services
viable.
ii. Price: Determine the price range in the chosen market. Decide on the
pricing strategy, including any discount policies. Provide the prices for
initial products and services and show profit margins at these prices.
iii. Place: Identify the target market(s) and explain the reasons for choosing
them. Describe the approach to these market(s). Emphasize the location of
the business, detailing the factors that make it a good location.
• Promotional Marketing Plan:
• Identify three key perceptions for the business and explain how to convey these
messages. Describe promotional activities and outline how to reach target
customers.
• Define three clear promotional marketing objectives, establishing key metrics
that correspond to each objective. Explain the desired outcomes of these
promotions over the next 6 to 12 months.
CCBS4020 Integrated Project Final Business Plan Structure and Guidelines
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• Describe the strategies to promote the business, including details on advertising,
public relations, sales promotions, and digital marketing.
• Provide specific examples of tactics to implement promotional strategies, such as
social media campaigns, email marketing, events, and special offers.
e) Financial Overview and Strategy
• Summary of financial considerations
• Write a clear and concise statement detailing how your business will generate
revenue, precisely answering the question: “How will the business make money?”
Describe your cash flow management strategy, emphasizing the importance of
accurate cash flow management to ensure the long-term viability of your business.
• Funding and financial projections
• Provide a detailed description of the funding required for your business, including
the initial investment and working capital needs, and reflect this funding in your
income statement, cash-flow forecasts, and balance sheet to demonstrate the
financial health and sustainability of your business.
• Ensure that estimates and forecasts are supported by or referenced to facts through
comprehensive research, with supporting documents provided in the appendices.
• Financial Objectives and Metrics
• Identify and define three financial objectives for your business, establishing key
financial metrics that correspond to each objective. Outline methods to regularly
review these financial metrics and describe how you will adjust your financial
strategy based on these reviews to ensure your business stays on track to meet its
financial goals.
f) Human Resources Strategy
• Identify specific individuals with relevant backgrounds to form an effective team.
Develop a comprehensive human resource plan detailing positions and corresponding
tasks. Map out the operational structure of the business, specifying the headcount.
Calculate and present projected labour costs, including estimated pay scales for each
position.
• Demonstrate to the management team and investors that the right people are in place
to achieve business objectives. Outline the roles and responsibilities of each team
member to show how the team is equipped to handle business operations efficiently.
Highlight a commitment to building a strong and capable workforce, essential for the
successful execution of the business strategy.
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g) Use of appendices, references, and citations
• A comprehensive catalogue, including pricing, products, and services must be
included.
• A decorated floor plan includes not only the layout of the space but also the placement
of furniture and decorations must be included.
• Include supplementary information in the appendices, such as graphs, charts, and
statistics, to support your analysis.
• Use at least 20 legitimate and authoritative sources, such as academic journals,
government publications, and reputable organizations. Apply a consistent citation
format (e.g., APA) and include in-text citations for all referenced information. Provide
a reference list at the end of the document with full details of each source.
• Ensure that estimates and forecasts are supported by facts through comprehensive
research, with supporting documents provided in the appendices.
• Ensure the report is well-organised, coherent, and professionally presented.
III. General and Formatting Guidelines
a) General Report Requirements:
• A standard cover page must be used.
• Use appropriate headings and subheadings to divide the report into sections and
subsections.
• Only one student, the group leader, is required to submit the Final Business Plan on
behalf of the group.
• Ensure that estimates and forecasts are supported by or referenced to facts through
comprehensive research, with supporting documents provided in the appendices.
b) Formatting:
• The Final Business Plan should be typed and printed on A4 size paper with the
following margins: left: 40mm, right: 30mm, top: 25mm, bottom: 25mm.
• Use Times New Roman 12pt font with 1.5 line spacing.
• Page numbers should be centred at the bottom of each page.
c) Word Counts:
• The report should be between 6,000 and 10,000 words in length, excluding the table of
contents, appendices, and references. The report should not include the environmental
analysis.
d) Group Assignments:
• In group assignments, all members of the group will generally receive the same marks.
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• Peer evaluation forms will be provided to assess each member's contribution to the
Final Business Plan.
• Each group member will rate the contributions of other group members. If a member
receives a poor rating, their mark for the assessed assignment will be deducted
accordingly. It is important for all students to contribute fairly to the project.
IV. Submission Process
• Name the document file using the following format: " Class Number_Group
Number_Report". For example, CL01 _GP01_FINAL and CL01_GP01_FINALRA.
• Submit the Final Business Plan as a WORD file through "Turnitin" on the SOUL
platform. The submission folder is named “Final Business Plan Collection Box”.
V. Plagiarism Policy
• Plagiarism, including copying from other students, authors, any online and offline
resources, or AI-generated written content, is strictly prohibited. All assignments must
be the original work of the student. Any student found to have plagiarized will receive
a ZERO mark for the assignment.
• You must properly cite and reference all sources used in your work, following APA
citation style consistently throughout. Do not represent others’ ideas or words as your
own.
• The Final Business Plan must have a Turnitin similarity percentage of less than 15%.
VI. Submission Deadline
• The report should be submitted by 23:59 HKT, 27 April 2025 (Sunday).
• Penalty will be applied for late submission as below:
Late by Marks deducted by
Up to 24 hours* 20%
More than 24 hours 50%
More than 48 hours 100%
* Up to 24 hours refer to submission from after deadline to 24 hours lateness
(No grace period is allowed)
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