Week 1 Assignment: Company Profile (50 points) Complete the Week 1 discussion board to get feedback from your classmates before completing your Company Profile document for this assignment. Use the web links below to help you answer the questions. SCENARIO: When you started your own business six months ago, you used a business communication 1.0 model. Although your company is set-up and running smoothly now, your business communication 1.0 model isn’t working as effectively as you expected. It’s time to change to a business communication 2.0 model (also known as a Web 2.0 or Enterprise 2.0 = social communication model). (See pages 3-4 in the textbook and Week 1 Reading for information about these models). Each week, you will explore a different aspect of Web 2.0 tools for internal and external company communications, analyze how your company can use them effectively, and set up sample sites as models. At the end of this process, you will write an analytical (feasibility) report recommending the implementation of Web 2.0 tools in your business. For this assignment, you will create a profile for your own (fictitious) company. You will use the profile to guide your analysis of Web 2.0 tools and decide how they will be used in your company as you move toward a social communications business model. Your company can be non-profit or for-profit, but there are significant differences in customers, staff, organizational structure, and revenue generation for these two types of businesses, which may affect how you implement the Web 2.0 tools. Your company can be a sole proprietorship, Limited Liability Company, a corporation or a non-profit corporation. Your company cannot be a real franchise (such as McDonalds, Starbucks, SuperCuts, Sylvan Learning Center, Gold’s Gyms, etc.), but your company idea can be based on those types of businesses. For example, you could have a coffee/tea company, a fast-food restaurant, a tutoring service, or a gym, etc. Your fictitious company cannot have the name of a real company; web search engines should not go to your sample class sites when searching for a real company name. Your company can be based on a company that you worked for in the past or that you work at now, but you have to change the name and cannot use specific information from that company in your assignments. Assignment Instructions Use the attached Company Profile Template document to complete this assignment. Click on the link and “SAVE” the document to your computer. Open it in Word and complete it. Submit it in your Week 1 Assignment folder. There is also a PowerPoint chart template to use to create your company's communication network. © 2011 by Kathy Matthes. All Rights Reserved. Use the links below to help you answer the questions. Post the answers to these questions on the Week 1 Discussion Board before you complete this assignment, so you get feedback from your classmates before finalizing this document. 1. What is your company’s name? Give your fictitious company a name. Do not use the name of a real company. Your company cannot be a franchise company.(Be sure to do a Google search on your “fictitious company name” just to be sure that you aren’t using a real company’s name. Since your “company name” will be on the Web 2.0 apps we use in this class, we don’t want anyone coming to your web pages when searching for the real company.) How to Choose a Company Name How To Choose Your Company Name: The New Way 2. What type of business is your company? Small Business Ideas Categories of Nonprofit Organizations Franchises (use for ideas, but don’t use the actual franchise 3. Is it a for-profit company or a non-profit organization? For Profit vs. Non-Profit Form of Busines 4. What is the ownership structure of your company? Learn About Business Ownership Structure 5. What is the company’s business model? Business Model 6. What is your company’s Mission Statement? Company Mission Statements (Profit) Non-profit mission statement 7. What is your company’s vision statement? How To Write A Great Business Vision Statement (Profit) 8. What product or service does your company provide? 9. Who are your customers? © 2011 by Kathy Matthes. All Rights Reserved. Define a Target Market for Your Small Business age gender income level buying habits occupation or industry marital status family status (children or no children) geographic location ethnic group political affiliations or leanings, and hobbies and interests 10. How many employees does your company have and what departments do they work in? 11. What type of internal communication tasks do your employees do? 12. What type of external communication tasks do your employees do? Week 1 Assignment: Company Profile What is your company’s name? What type of business is your company? Is it a for-profit company or a non-profit organization? What is the ownership structure of your company? What is the company’s business model? What is your company’s Mission Statement? What is your company’s vision statement? What product or service does your company provide? Who are your customers? How many employees and what departments do they work in? What type of internal communication tasks do your employees do? What type of external communication tasks do your employees do? PowerPoint Formal Communication Network Chart Correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. Total Points © 2011 by Kathy Matthes. All Rights Reserved. Points 2 2 2 2 3 5 5 3 5 3 5 5 5 3 50