University of Toronto

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

CSC454/2527S: The Business of Software

January-April 2001

Assignment E: Plan v2

Handed Out: 5 February 2001, 6 p.m.

Due In: 12 March 2001, 5:30 p.m.

Marks: 14%

Each team will submit a draft business plan that is "as complete as possible". (The more complete it is, the more feedback you will get from your TA.) This is to be handed in to Prof. Baecker’s assignment box in SF4306 on paper in two (2) copies at 5:30 p.m. on March 12^th.

Emphasis should be placed on describing clearly and at an appropriate level of detail:

• an Executive Summary for the plan

• the basic idea, objectives, and mission statement for the new venture

• the product and/or service and/or content and the market to be served

• who the customer would be for the product, service, and/or content, what the "user benefit" would be, and what the customer might be willing to pay. Evidence should be given of actual contact with potential customers.

• the beginnings of a technology definition and development plan

• the competitive landscape into which your product, service, and/or content will be introduced, how you will position yourself in this landscape, and how you will differentiate yourself from the competition

• how you will sell and market the product, service, and/or content

• the beginnings of a financial plan for operating the company

• the beginnings of a financing plan for raising need capital

• the start-up management team, which could include a reasonable number of additional key personnel.

All of this will be refined and possibly elaborated further in your final business plan.

The typical submission could be expected to be from 15 to 30 pages on paper not counting the title page, table of contents page, or Appendices. The paper report must be typed and submitted on 8.5"X11" paper. Structure and organization, spelling, grammar, word usage, and document appearance will count for roughly 15% of your total grade. Sketches, diagrams, and tables should be used where appropriate to assist in conveying concepts such as competitive information and product positioning.

Submissions that are not written in minimally acceptable English will be returned for rework and resubmission.

Each submission must include a title page with a meaningful title, your names, your student ID#s, your tutor's name, the course name and number, and the date. The second page should contain a table of contents. The second page must also indicate who on each team carried out what part of the work.