• To identify and describe the challenges and opportunities of a newly started company
• To identify potentially relevant stakeholders for a given startup company
• To actively participate in the planning and development proces of a startup company
• To discuss and assess the curriculum and combine these contributions to the analysis of SME's
• To write, edit and critically analyse business plan
• To be able to communicate the contents of a business plan both in writing and orally as a result of the student's analysis and reflections
• To explain and assess different business models

The course is centered around the contents of a business plan and as such covers a rather broad set of topics. A selection of the topics covered includes idea generation and evaluation, market and industry analysis, marketing and team analysis, operations and product development, finance and financial models as well as business models and business model innovation.

The case and problem solving approach provides valuable practice and experience for the course participants as it facilitiates the linking of theory to practical application. The goal of the course is ultimately to equip the course participants with the theoretical and practical skills required to develop business plans that are well thought out, trustworthy and useful.

Session 1: Importance of business plans and their role(s)
Session 2: Industry, market and technology analysis
Session 3: Marketing and team analysis
Session 4: Operations and Product Development
Session 5: Finance, financial projections and funding
Session 6: Guest Lecture & feedback session.
Session 7: Business models
Session 8 & 9: Business model innovation
Session 10: Guest lecture
Session 11: Review, wrap-up and exam preparation

Following session 5 there will be a small assignment which forms the basis of the feedback activity in session 6.

Preliminary Assignment: To help students get maximum value from ISUP courses, instructors provide a reading or a small number of readings or video clips to be read or viewed before the start of classes with a related task scheduled for class 1 in order to 'jump-start' the learning process.

Feedback Activity: A feedback activity defined by the course instructor will take place approx. half-way through the course.

Course timetable is available on http://www.cbs.dk/uddannelse/summer-university-programme/courses

Primary literature (must-have books)

Barringer, Bruce R.: Preparing Effective Business Plans - An Entrepreneurial Approach, 2nd edt. 2015. Pearson Education Ltd.

Additional materials:

Sahlman, W. A. (1996). Some thoughts on business plans. Harvard Business School Publ.

Delmar, F., & Shane, S. (2003). Does business planning facilitate the development of new ventures? Strategic Management Journal, 24(12), 1165-1185.

Shane, S., & Delmar, F. (2004). Planning for the market: business planning before marketing and the continuation of organizing efforts. Journal of Business Venturing, 19(6), 767-785.

Karlsson, T., & Honig, B. (2009). Judging a business by its cover: An institutional perspective on new ventures and the business plan. Journal of Business Venturing, 24(1), 27-45.

Zott, C., & Amit, R. (2007). Business model design and the performance of entrepreneurial firms. Organization Science, 18(2), 181-199.

Slater, S. F., & Olson, E. M. (2002). A fresh look at industry and market analysis. Business Horizons, 45(1), 15-22.           

CASE: Jean, M. (2014). Sweet Leaf Bath Co. Ivey Publishing

CASE: Ko, S., Woo, C. L. (2009). AirAsia: Flying Low Cost with High Hopes. Asia Case Research Center - The University of Hong Kong.

Zott, C., Amit, R., & Massa, L. (2011). The business model: recent developments and future research. Journal of management, 37(4), 1019-1042.

Magretta, J. (2002). Why business models matter. Harvard Business Review, May 2002, 86-92

Shafer, S. M., Smith, H. J., & Linder, J. C. (2005). The power of business models. Business horizons, 48(3), 199-207.

Casadesus-Masanell, R., & Ricart, J. E. (2007). Competing through business models. Handbook of Research on Competitive Strategy.

Zott, C., & Amit, R. (2008). The fit between product market strategy and business model: implications for firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 29(1), 1-26.

St. Gallen Business Model Navigator - working paper (2016).

CASE: Hart, M., Roberts, M. J., & Stevens, J. D. (2005). Zipcar: refining the business model. Harvard Business School Pub.