BUSINESS STUDIES A ‘LEVEL COURSEWORK
A FEASIBILITY STUDY
This coursework makes up 15% of your A’ level (30% of A2). You must submit a
project of approximately 3000 words, and it must be word processed. This all needs
to be done before the October half term of year 13.
You have to conduct a feasibility study into starting up a new business in Coventry or extending
an existing business. Your project will probably be about 20 pages typed up with an additional
20-40 pages of appendices evidencing your research.
During the project you will need to consider, research and evidence (analyse and evaluate) all of
the following:
-
Firstly a worthwhile business opportunity
An explanation of the business and its location
Lots of in depth primary and secondary research like the potential demand
The local/national competition faced by the potential business
Issues in that Industry as a whole
Who are the potential customers and what do they want
Possible marketing strategies
The start-up and operating costs
Possible sources of finance
The financial aspects (by constructing a cash flow forecast and breakeven chart for the first
year) to see if it is feasible
Analysis such as a SWOT map
You will conclude whether or not to proceed making justified recommendations
This coursework will be as easy or difficult as you want make it. If you work through the project
methodically and in a timely fashion, you will find it relatively straight forward. If you are lazy and
don’t put the effort in, you will find it difficult and it will be rushed towards the end and this will
inevitably be reflected in your mark. The decision is yours!
You are expected to come to every lesson where you will be directed as a group through the
phases, you will have time to work on the project on computers and you will benefit from my help
and that of your classmates.
You will also be expected to do all of your research over the summer holidays so the more you do
this term the less you will have to do in the holidays.
Good Luck
Miss Watson
Hints
Please be original in your idea, but here are some examples of past courseworks:
Investigating the feasibility of:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Introducing food service in a pub
Opening a bakers on Green Lane
Opening a Subway
Introducing valeting as a service into a motorcycle accessories shop
Opening a fast food van on Earlsdon High Street
Starting a driving school
Opening a newsagent
A newsagent expanding into selling alcohol
Opening a DVD shop on Green Lane
Opening a pharmacy
Expanding a chinese takeaway into a delivery service too
Opening a beauty salon
Opening a coffee shop in a clothing retail outlet
Opening a smoothie bar in West Orchards
Expanding an alternative therapy business to be from fixed premises
Opening a food home delivery service for organic produce
Try to think of how the market is changing, what do customers want nowadays to match our fast
moving lifestyles? What is trendy now or what could be in the near future? What cool businesses
do we not have in Coventry that you might have seen or heard of elsewhere?
It is key that you consider where you are likely to get all of your primary and secondary research
from for your project. All of your information does need to be real* and fully evidenced (perhaps
unlike some GCSE courseworks), therefore you need to consider how you are going to get access
to your potential customers and how you are going to get the real financial data about the running
of a business. This is why you really need to have access to a business to do this project.
So, before our first lesson back, try to think of several ideas and try to make some contact with
friends and family to get some real business contacts.
If you want to be very proactive you can start to plan what you need to find out and where you will
get it from – e.g. questionnaires, background information about the industry, background
information about other similar businesses. Remember the aim of the coursework is to make a
genuine recommendation whether or not your idea is or isn’t feasible, this can only be done with
real research!
See you on June 10th
*for example you need to evidence at least 50 questionnaires to have some real data to work with!