BUS357

End-of-Course Assessment - July Semester 2023

Starting and Managing a Business

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:
1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises 12 pages (including the
cover page).

2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Course Code,
Title of the ECA, SUSS PI No., Your Name, and Submission Date.

3. Late submission will be subjected to the marks deduction scheme. Please refer
to the Student Handbook for details.

IMPORTANT NOTE

ECA Submission Deadline: Monday, 30 October 2023 12:00 pm

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 1 of 12
ECA Submission Guidelines

Please follow the submission instructions stated below:

A - What Must Be Submitted

You are required to submit the following THREE (3) items for marking and grading:

• A Report (you should submit this item first as it carries the highest weightage).

• A Video Presentation: Refer to Canvas L/LG course site’s announcement on “ECA

Video Submission Technical Know How”, which will be posted three weeks before
the ECA cut-off date.

• The set of PowerPoint slides, converted to PDF, upon which the video presentation
is based.

Please verify your submissions after you have submitted the above THREE (3) items.

B - Submission Deadline

• The THREE (3) items of Report, Video and Presentation Summary are to be
submitted by 12 noon on the submission deadline.

• You are allowed multiple submissions till the cut-off date for each of the THREE
(3) items.

• Late submission of any of the THREE (3) items will be subjected to mark-deduction
scheme by the University. Please refer to Section 5.2 Para 2.4 of the Student
Handbook.

C - How the (3) Items Should Be Submitted

• The Report: submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (for plagiarism detection)

• The Video: submit online to Canvas (refer to Canvas L/LG course site’s
announcement on “ECA Video Submission Technical Know How”, which will be
posted three weeks before the ECA cut-off date.)

• The Presentation Summary:

o Submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (PPT must be converted to PDF and
submission is in PDF only)
o The PPT must contain at least 20 words

• Avoid using a public WiFi connection for submitting large video files. If you are
using public wireless (WiFi) connection (e.g. SG Wireless at public areas), you
might encounter a break in the connection when sending large files.

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 2 of 12
D - Additional guidelines on file formatting are given as follows:

1. Report • Please ensure that your Microsoft Word document is generated

by Microsoft Word 2016 or higher.

• The report must be saved in .docx format.

2. Video • Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT

required.

• Time Duration: a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 6

minutes

There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either
Record Media or Upload Media.

For Record Media

Video can be recorded via Canvas through desktop/laptop with built-
in webcam and microphone or through Canvas mobile app. Live
recording duration must be less than 10 minutes. No file size limit for
live recording.

For Upload Media

Video can be recorded using other recording devices and uploaded
as a media file. Do ensure that your video file conforms to these
requirements:
a) File Format: .mp4
b) File Size: No more than 500MB

Note: Refer to Canvas L/LG course site’s announcement on “ECA

Video Submission Technical Know How”, which will be posted three
weeks before the ECA cut-off date.

3. Presentation • Your PowerPoint presentation must contain at least 20 words.

Summary
• Please ensure that your PowerPoint presentation is converted to
PDF format before you submit.

• The maximum number of slides is fifteen (15).

• Please do NOT download and use PowerPoint slide design

templates from the Internet.

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 3 of 12
E - Please be Aware of the Following:

Submission in hardcopy or any other means not given in the above guidelines will not
be accepted. You do not need to submit any other forms or cover sheets (e.g. form ET3)
with your ECA.

You are reminded that electronic transmission is not immediate. The network traffic
may be particularly heavy on the date of submission deadline and connections to the
system cannot be guaranteed. Hence, you are advised to submit your work early.
Canvas will allow you to submit your work late but your work will be subjected to the
mark-deduction scheme. You should therefore not jeopardise your course result by
submitting your ECA at the last minute.

It is your responsibility to check and ensure that your files are successfully submitted
to Canvas.

F - Plagiarism and Collusion

Plagiarism and collusion are forms of cheating and are not acceptable in any form in
a student’s work, including this ECA. Plagiarism and collusion are taking work done
by others or work done together with others respectively and passing it off as your own.
You can avoid plagiarism by giving appropriate references when you use other people’s
ideas, words or pictures (including diagrams). Refer to the APA Manual if you need
reminding about quoting and referencing. You can avoid collusion by ensuring that
your submission is based on your own individual effort.

The electronic submission of your ECA will be screened by plagiarism detection

software. For more information about plagiarism and collusion, you should refer to the
Student Handbook (Section 5.2.1.3). You are reminded that SUSS takes a tough stance
against plagiarism or collusion. Serious cases will normally result in the student being
referred to SUSS’s Student Disciplinary Group. For other cases, significant mark
penalties or expulsion from the course will be imposed.

G - Use of Generative AI Tools (Allowed)

The use of generative AI tools is allowed for this assignment.

• You are expected to provide proper attribution if you use generative AI tools
while completing the assignment, including appropriate and discipline-specific
citation, a table detailing the name of the AI tool used, the approach to using the
tool (e.g. what prompts were used), the full output provided by the tool, and which
part of the output was adapted for the assignment;

• To take note of section 3, paragraph 3.2 and section 5.2, paragraph 2A.1 (Viva
Voce) of the Student Handbook;

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 4 of 12
• The University has the right to exercise the viva voce option to determine the
authorship of a student’s submission should there be reasonable grounds to
suspect that the submission may not be fully the student’s own work.

• For more details on academic integrity and guidance on responsible use of

generative AI tools in assignments, please refer to the TLC website for more
details;

• The University will continue to review the use of generative AI tools based on
feedback and in light of developments in AI and related technologies.

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 5 of 12
 Video Presentation Evaluation Criteria

Note: Students will be assessed on the quality of the presentation and not the quality of
the video recording. However, the recording is expected to have video and audio
clarity. Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required.

Organisation of Presentation /8

• Logical flow of presentation

Posture & Body Language /5

• Posture: Standing, straight back etc…
• Body language:
– Hand gestures supporting oral arguments, etc…

Eye-Contact /5
• Looking at the video camera
• No reading of slides or notes or cue cards

Pace & Articulation /7

• Pace: Speaks neither too fast nor too slow
• Articulation: Oral expression is clear and confident in the presentation.
TOTAL /25

Presentation Summary Evaluation Criteria

Format and Style of Slides /3

• Layout, clarity of text elements, colour blends, graphical enhancements

Clarity and Coherence /4

• Proper flow - title page, introduction, body, results,
recommendations / discussion points, conclusion/summary; quick
to understand, free from grammatical errors

Creativity /3
• Ability to use creative elements to value-add to the presentation
so as to enhance understanding and clarity of difficult concepts
TOTAL /10

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 6 of 12
Important Note: Grading of TMA/GBA/ECA Submissions

Marks awarded to your assignment are based on the following guidelines:

1. 80% of the marks are allocated to the content of your answers:

• The marks awarded to what your answers cover depend on the extent to which they
cover the key points that correctly and comprehensively address each question.
• The key points should be supported by evidence drawn from course materials and,
wherever relevant, from other credible sources.

2. 20% of the marks are allocated to the presentation of your answers:

Wherever applicable, the marks awarded to how your answers are presented depend on the
extent to which your answers:

• form a sound reasoning by developing those key points in a clear, logical and succinct
manner;
• provide proper and adequate in-text citations and referencing to content drawn from
course materials and other credible sources;
• strictly follow APA formatting and style guidelines[1], in particular for:

• in-text citations and end-of-report references;

• the identification of figures and tables;

• use, wherever relevant, the specialised vocabulary and terminology commonly used
in discussions about the topic(s) covered by each question;

• provide a reference or bibliography at the end of the main report;

• include the less relevant details in an Appendix;

• use sentence constructions that are grammatically and syntactically correct;

• are free from spelling mistakes; present the workings, numerical formulations and
results in a logical manner that follows the APA formatting and style guidelines;

• design and present graphs, diagrams and plots that follow the APA formatting and
style guidelines;

• are highly original;

• have proper formatting, which may:

• include a properly formatted cover page;
• respect the answer length/word count set out in the assignment guidelines,
if any is prescribed;
• present answers in paragraphs with proper spacing and page margins;
• include page numbers and appendices, if necessary.
[1]
You can find a short tutorial on the APA formatting and style guidelines here:
https://apastyle.apa.org/index.
Additional details (pertaining to tables and figures) can be found here: https://is.gd/O4vDdT

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 7 of 12
(Full marks: 100)

SECTION A (65 marks)

Answer all questions in this section.

Question 1

Singapore Land Authority (SLA) recently announced that it will be calling for tenders
for vacant units at Dempsey over the next few months. With a plan to turn Dempsey
into a green lifestyle destination, SLA is looking for “more innovative concepts,
including sustainability initiatives” in the new rounds of tenders.

SLA wants to further enhance the appeal of the Dempsey area by introducing broader
uses which could include artisan craft and wellness, local and international cuisines.

At the same time, there has been a growing interest in how to implement sustainable
practices in the food and beverages (F&B) industry, ranging from procurement,
production, packaging to food waste management. This aligns well with your belief that
a successful F&B business should engage in sustainable practices and not just focus on
making profits.

Prompted by the latest announcement from SLA, you are keen to explore the possibility
of establishing a F&B business with sustainability initiatives at Dempsey.

However, you are also cognizant of the significant investment required and the need for
good planning before embarking on this venture. Through your contacts and network,
you have spoken with several potential investors who have requested for a preliminary
proposal prior to further discussion. [Sources: Adapted from Metteo (2022)].

Required:

You are to construct a business model canvas to analyse the opportunity for launching
a F&B business that adopts sustainability initiatives.

In your report, you should appraise in detail each section of the business model canvas.

The report should also include a detailed financial analysis to demonstrate the financial
viability of the venture.

Reference

Metteo, R. (2022, October 14). From new wellness spots to improved accessibility: The
plan to turn Dempsey into a green lifestyle destination. Channel
NewsAsia. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/dempsey-lifestyle-green-
living-destination-3005961

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 8 of 12
Guidelines and Assumptions

1. The primary activities of the proposed business must be F&B-related, which may
include food preparation for dining on-site and takeaway, retail, etc. It must not
be a (i) Franchise or (ii) Wholesale/Distribution business concept.

2. The proposed business must include sustainability initiatives which are to be

clearly articulated. However, you cannot include composting of food waste ideas
in your proposal as there is currently an existing business in the process of
coordinating with the National Environment Agency (NEA) to implement a
central food composting system for the management of food waste for the
Dempsey area.

3. There are three adjoining single-storey vacant units located in one of the blocks
at Dempsey, each unfurnished at 1,000 square feet (comprising of 800 square feet
for indoor and 200 square feet for outdoor use). Rental for each unit is at $12,000
per month, fixed for a minimum 3-year lease. There is a discount of 10% if you
rent two adjoining units or 15% if you rent all three units.

4. In deciding the space required, you need to consider the current requirements of
the proposed business, the maximum foreseeable operating capacity and ability
to accommodate future expansion of the business. Changes to the space leased
during the tenancy term is not permitted.

5. Rental deposit required is equivalent to 2 months’ rental, to be paid together with

the first month’s rental upon commencement of the lease. Sub-letting is not
allowed.

6. The first month of operations is the gestation period of the new business, e.g.,
staff recruitment, renovation, staff training and etc. The first revenue can only be
received by the new business from the second month onwards in the financial
forecast.

7. The depreciation for any capital investment is a straight line over three (3) years.

8. You are able to invest $80,000 as your initial equity capital. The potential investor
is willing to invest between 40% to 70% of the balance of capital required as his
equity stake (you will need to propose the amount). The remaining shortfall in
capital will be extended as a loan to the business at the start, with only interest
payable each month (see further for cost of debt) and the full repayment of the
principal on the 36th month. must reflect cash outflow on 36th month***

9. The following Cost of Capital (Weighted Average Cost of Capital, WACC)

formula must be used (no marks will be awarded if any other WACC formula is
used):

E D
WACC = x Re + x Rd x (1 – Tc)
V V

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 9 of 12
 • Re = Cost of Equity
• Rd = Cost of Debt
• E = Funding from Equity
• D = Funding from Debt / Loans
• V = E + D (i.e., total funding)
• E/V = Percentage of Financing that is Equity
• D/V = Percentage of Financing that is Debt
• Tc = Corporate Tax Rate

10. Specific Tax Exemptions, Credits and Reliefs (e.g., Tax Exemption Scheme for
New Start-Up Companies), Concessions, Rebates, Loss-Carrying Forward and
similar Schemes are to be ignored in computations.

11. The financial statements, together with the key major assumptions made, must
be included in the main report. Other information and supporting evidences can
be in the Appendix.

12. The financial statements must be inserted and properly resized as an embedded
object clearly displayed in MS Word (use “INSERT > OBJECT” function) and
NOT as a picture, image, link to an external document or as an attachment.

13. The report should be formatted with 2.54cm (1-inch) margin all around, typed in
Times New Roman 12-points with 1.5 line spacing for the paragraphs. All graphs,
tables and images must be numbered and titled.

14. You must follow the report format (including the sub-headers numbering and
title) provided below.

15. In addition to the course materials provided, you are free to conduct library
research, field research, interviews, etc.

16. Any assumptions made must be supported by appropriate references shown in the
appendices. All sources must be properly cited in the text and included in the
reference list.

17. The main report, including the Executive Summary, must not exceed 3,000 words
– excluding cover page, TOC, appendices and reference list. Marks will be
deducted for excessive length.

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 10 of 12
 1) Clear overview of biz opp. include quick summary of 9 BMC
Numbers from financial statement , cashflow ,profit anot , or postive?

Conclusion - Dear investors, how much equity/how much shares

ECA REPORT FORMAT

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary (Maximum 500 words) 8 marks

(indicate word count)
2. The Business Model 30 marks
2.1 The Business Model Canvas use short terms , for 9 componnents
2.2 Analysis of the Business Model Canvas Components based
on Research Data each components of BMC
3. Sustainability Initiatives 4 ) give clear description of sustainabilty initiatives 4 marks
- DO NOT WRITE COMPOSITING OF FOOD
4. Financial Analysis -DO NOT WRITE DONATE 3% OF SALES 15 marks
4.1 3-Year Pro-forma Income Statement
(1st to 3rd year on monthly basis) 4.1 : 9-10marks
BMC : refer to financial
4.2 3-Year Pro-forma Cash Flow Statement 4.2 : bal marks
(1st to 3rd year on monthly basis)
5. Investment Proposal 8 marks
state clearly how much capital needed , take from
5.1 Total Capital Required, Sources and Justification cash flow statement
5.2 Expected Financial Returns: justification : the amt from equity and debts
why more debts why less debts use last lesson
can use template from last lesson example to refer
WACC must calculate correctly
5.1/5.2 example
• Valuation (based on the discounted cash flow method)
• Net Present Value (NPV)
6% should be in P/L and cash flow
• Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
Bank interest rate
(Cost of Equity at 10% (Re), Cost of Debt (Rd) at 6% and Corporate
Tax Rate (Tc) at 17%)
5.3 Percentage Shareholding Offered to Investor must calcuate valuation , investment is equity
must show inside Executive Summary (for 5.3)

ECA Written
Report Total = 65 marks

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 11 of 12
SECTION B (25 marks)
Answer all questions in this section.

Question 2

Develop a video recording of the presentation of at least 3 minutes but not exceeding 6
minutes. There are two methods for ECA video assignment submission; either Record
Media or Upload Media. For Upload Media, please note that your file size should be
no more than 500MB and the format is in .mp4.
(25 marks)

SECTION C (10 marks)

Answer all questions in this section.

Question 3

Develop a set of PowerPoint presentation slides upon which the video presentation is
based. Please note that the PowerPoint must be converted to PDF before submission to
Canvas.
(10 marks)

----- END OF ECA PAPER -----

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ECA – July Semester 2023 Page 12 of 12