Module code Foundation Year Research Module leader: Habib Niazi

and title: Project (MGBBT0FYP) Lyudmila Igosheva

Assignment Business Research Report Assessment 50%

type: (1500 words) weighting:

Submission due To be submitted not later Feedback 3 weeks from submission

dates: than 14:00, 6th February Target:
2023.

Assignment Overview

This assignment is designed to provide you with basic and essential skills involved in planning,
undertaking, and visually presenting a piece of independent research in the form of a written report.

You will need to apply knowledge gathered in previous modules of the foundation year through
producing a business proposal based on your interests and within your local area. You will make use
of information gathered from a wide range of sources using the basic research skills and methods.

This assignment has been designed to provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your
achievement of the following module learning outcomes:

LO 1 Demonstrate an ability to undertake a project involving plan, execute, analyse findings, and
draw conclusions for an investigation with specified aims and objectives identified.

LO 2 Use information collected from a range of sources and use of appropriate methods to address
the stated aims and objectives of the investigation.

LO 3 Develop and demonstrate academic writing and communication skills to present the project in
written and visual formats.

Assignment Task and Requirements

Prepare a business proposal in the form of a written report of 1,500 words. It aims to present
a business idea based on your interests using previous knowledge and business research
skills.

WHAT ARE YOU ASKED TO DO?

For your project you are required to carry out individual and independent research using a variety of
sources to answer the following question:

“Produce a business proposal of a new business in your local area within your chosen
industry sector”.

1
This task will require you:

1. Propose an idea for business related to Tourism.

2. Using research, identify what product you would like to offer on the local market, who can be
your clients, their demographics, needs, wants, and demands.
3. Identify your future competitors and stakeholders (people that have interest in your business,
for example: government, employees, family, publics, etc.) and how they can affect your
business.
4. Define your short and long-term strategy.
5. Prepare a PESTLE analysis for your future company and explain why you think your business
will be successful.

Important: you must only include citations from the core and recommended books and
sources outlined below.

Core Resources

Core texts:
1. Abrams, R.M. and Kleiner, E. (2003) The successful business plan: secrets & strategies. 4th
ed. Palo Alto: The Planning Shop.

2. Fullen, S.L. and Podmoroff, D. (2006) How to write a great business plan for your small
business in 60 minutes or less. Ocala: Atlantic Publishing Company.

3. Griffin, M.P. (2015) How to Write a Business Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Plan
That Gets Results: AMA Self-Study.

4. Miller, R. and Washington, K. (2021) Restaurant, Food & Beverage Market Research 2022.
Miramar, Florida: Richard K. Miller & Associates (RKMA Market Research Handbook Series).

5. Murray, J.W. (2008). The Complete Guide to Writing Effective and Award-Winning Business
Proposals: Step-by-Step Instructions. Ocala: Atlantic Publishing Company.

6. Altinay, L., Paraskevas, A. and Jang, S. (2016) Planning research in hospitality and tourism.
Second edition. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

7. McKeever, M. (2018) How to Write a Business Plan. Berkeley, California: NOLO.

8. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2012) Research methods for business students. 6th
ed. Essex: Financial Times, Prentice Hall.

9. Tracy, B. (2014) Marketing. New York: AMACOM (Brian Tracy Success Library).

10. Matos, F. et al. (2022) ‘Organizational Resilience Factors of Startups: An Exploratory Case
2
 Study’, Proceedings of the European Conference on Management, Leadership &
Governance, pp. 291–299.

Websites
· Bloomberg Businessweek
· The Financial Times
· Trading economics
· ONS (Office for National Statistics)
· World bank data
· Companies’ websites
· Statista (open access)
· Google maps and reviews
· Harvard business review (journal)

Referencing and research requirements

Please reference your work according to the Canterbury Harvard Referencing style guidance. You
can access this on Moodle.

For each reference used, provide the full Harvard reference within your References section and the
core in-text citation if you are referencing something in your text. Have a minimum 10 different
references.

Include both direct and indirect citations only from the recommended materials outlined above.

Assignment Guide and Format

Your Business Research Report needs to include:

1) Introduction (150 Words):

a) Briefly outline the idea for your business. Explain why you chose this idea and why it is
interesting for you. Include the definitions of business and business research. State the aims
and objectives of the report.

2) Stakeholder analysis (350 Words):

a) Identify your internal stakeholders (include the definition) and explain how they can affect
your business.

3
 b) Identify your external stakeholders (include the definition) and explain how they can affect
your business.

3) Market research (300 Words):

a) Define what is market research.
b) Identify and describe your potential clients. Use tables and different types of charts to support
your findings on demographics, statistical data, forecasts, number of visitors or potential
clients, etc.
c) Identify the specific need, want and demand of the local market of your choice. Use images,
reviews, and word of mouth to support your business idea. Explain how your business will
cover this need, want, and demand.
d) Perform a competition analysis (include a definition). Use maps, images, logos, or tables with
your potential competitors in the area you have chosen.

4) Business strategy (200 Words):

a) Include a definition of business strategy.
b) Describe a short-term strategy applied to your business.
c) Describe a long-term strategy applied to your business.

5) PESTLE analysis (200 Words)

a) Briefly analyse political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that
might affect your business.

6) Recommendation (150 Words):

a) Justify how and why your business will be successful.
7) Conclusion (150 Words):
Consolidate your key findings and give overall conclusive remarks.
8) Reference list 10 minimum:
a) Only use the core and recommended books, texts, and resources.
9) Appendix (optional):
 A Gannt chart, timeline or a table that shows the tasks and time frame that the project tasks
will take place.
 Google map reviews.
 Statistical data that did not fit into the main report.
 Any other information you might find useful.

How your work will be assessed

4
Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated
learning outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against other key criteria like content,
design and layout, and graphics, as defined in the University’s institutional grading descriptors. If it
is appropriate to the format of your assignment and your subject area, a proportion of your marks will
also depend upon your use of academic referencing conventions.

This assignment will be marked according to the grading descriptors for Level 0

See attached grid for grade descriptors.

Submission details

This assignment should be submitted electronically via Moodle (module tutors will discuss this
process with you during class time).

 Please ensure that your work has been saved in an appropriate file format (Microsoft Word,
Excel or PowerPoint, or PDF are the most widely used; Google Docs is also accepted). Your
file must also contain at least 20 words of text, consist of fewer than 400 pages and be less
than 40MB in size.

 You can submit your work as many times as you like before the submission date. If you do
submit your work more than once, your earlier submission will be replaced by the most recent
version.

 Once you have submitted your work, you will receive a digital receipt as proof of submission,
which will be sent to your forwarded e-mail address (provided you have set this up). Please
keep this receipt for future reference, along with the original electronic copy of your
assignment.

 You are reminded of the University’s regulations on academic misconduct, which can be
viewed on the University website: Academic Misconduct Policy. In submitting your
assignment, you are acknowledging that you have read and understood these regulations.

5
Provision at Level 3 (often forming part of a Foundation Year course) is designed to prepare students for higher education. At the end of Level 3, students will
be expected to demonstrate the acquisition of foundation level skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to embark on a higher education programme of
study at Level 4. In accordance with the national Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), this includes the ability to identify and use relevant
understanding, methods and skills to complete tasks and address problems that, while well defined, have a measure of complexity. It includes taking
responsibility for initiating and completing tasks and procedures as well as exercising autonomy and judgement within limited parameters. It also reflects
awareness of different perspectives or approaches within an area of study or work.
A pass mark (40% or above) demonstrates achievement of all learning outcomes associated with the module assessment
Assessment category
Introductory knowledge Cognitive and intellectual skills Reading and referencing Presentation, style and
and understanding of structure
the basic underlying Work that significantly exceeds
concepts and principles the specified word limit may be
of the subject(s) penalized
Excellent work showing Insightful and accurate Insightful and effective use of Exemplary presentation of work
flawless understanding of interpretation and evaluation of a carefully selected range of that is fluent and flawless
the basic underlying information and ideas, based on relevant reading. Consistently throughout.
concepts and principles of an excellent application of the accurate application of
Pass Mark

90%-100%

the subject(s), resulting in most appropriate skills, methods referencing.

students being fully
prepared for study at Level
4.
and procedures. Work shows full
awareness of the nature of the
area of study and different
perspectives or approaches
within it

6
 High quality work showing
fluent understanding of the
basic underlying concepts
80%-89%
and principles of the
subject(s), resulting in
students being fully
prepared for study at Level
4.
Commendable work
showing detailed
understanding of the basic
70% – 79%
underlying concepts and
principles of the subject(s),
resulting in students being
highly prepared for study
at Level 4.
Work of solid quality
showing competent and
consistent understanding
of the basic underlying
60% – 69%
concepts and principles of
the subject(s), resulting in
students being well
prepared for study at Level
4.
Excellent interpretation and
evaluation of information and
ideas, employing highly
appropriate skills, methods and
procedures. Work shows strong
awareness of the nature of the
area of study and different
perspectives or approaches
within it
Effective interpretation and
evaluation of information and
ideas, showing effective use of
appropriate skills, methods and
procedures. Work shows well
established awareness of the
nature of the area of study and
different perspectives or
approaches within it.
Good interpretation and
evaluation of information and
ideas, using appropriate skills,
methods and procedures. Work
shows sound awareness of the
nature of the area of study and
different perspectives or
approaches within it.
7
Consistent and balanced Highly effective presentation of
engagement with a refined work that is coherently structured
selection of many types of and clearly expressed
relevant reading. Consistently throughout.
accurate application of
referencing.
Consistent engagement with Well-formed presentation of work
a wide range of relevant that is coherently structured and
reading. Consistently clearly expressed throughout.
accurate application of
referencing.
Engagement with a wide Competent presentation of work
range of relevant reading. in terms of structure and clarity of
Sound application of expression.
referencing, with no
inaccuracies or
inconsistencies.
 Introductory knowledge
Level 3
Adequate work showing
understanding of the basic
underlying concepts and principles
50% – 59%
of the subject(s), resulting in
students being prepared for study
at Level 4, but lacking depth and
breadth.
Pass mark
Simple factual approach showing
understanding of the basic
underlying concepts and principles
40% – 49%
of the subject(s), resulting in
students being largely prepared
for study at Level 4. Narrow or
misguided selection of material,
with elements missing or
inaccurate.
Work shows limited but
fragmentary understanding of the
basic underlying concepts and
Marginal fail
35% – 39%
principles of the subject(s), for
example through inaccuracies,
inclusion of irrelevant material
and/or absence of appropriate
information.
Unsatisfactory work showing weak
and flawed understanding of the
basic underlying concepts and
20% – 34%
principles of the subject(s), for
example through serious
inaccuracies, inclusion of a
significant amount of irrelevant
material and/or absence of
appropriate information.
Fail
Highly unsatisfactory work
showing major gaps in
understanding of the basic
underlying concepts and principles
< 20%
of the subject(s). Inclusion of
largely irrelevant material,
absence of appropriate
information and significant
Cognitive and intellectual
skills
Adequate interpretation and
evaluation of information and
ideas, largely using appropriate
skills, methods and procedures.
Work shows awareness of the
nature of the area of study and an
emerging awareness of different
perspectives or approaches
within it.
A limited interpretation and
evaluation of information and
ideas, showing emerging
awareness of the nature of the
area of study and different
perspectives or approaches
within it, although not always
logical or coherent and with
inaccuracies.
Weak and at times flawed
interpretation and evaluation of
information and ideas, resulting in
largely descriptive work that
shows lack of awareness of the
nature of the area of study and
different perspectives or
approaches within it.
Very weak interpretation and
evaluation of information and
ideas, resulting in descriptive
work that is often illogical, invalid
or irrelevant. Little awareness of
the nature of the area of study
and no appreciation of different
perspectives or approaches
within it.
Work is largely irrelevant or
inaccurate, characterised by
descriptive text and 8 Absent or incoherent referencing.
unsubstantiated generalisations.
Minimal or no use of evidence to
back up views, showing complete
lack of awareness of the nature of
the area of study and different
Reading and referencing
Engagement with an appropriate
range of reading beyond essential
texts. Referencing may show minor
inaccuracies or inconsistencies.
Evidence of reading, largely
confined to essential texts, but
mainly reliant on taught elements.
Referencing may show
inaccuracies and/or
inconsistencies.
Poor engagement with essential
texts and no evidence of wider
reading. Heavily reliant on taught
elements. Inconsistent and weak
use of referencing.
Limited evidence of reading and/or
reliance on inappropriate sources.
Limited engagement with taught
elements. Very poor use of
referencing.
No evidence of reading or
engagement with taught elements.
Presentation, style and
structure
Work is structured in a largely
coherent manner and is for the
most part clearly expressed.
Ordered presentation in which
relevant ideas / concepts are
reasonably expressed.
Work is loosely, and at times
incoherently, structured, with
information and ideas often poorly
expressed.
Work is poorly presented in a
disjointed and incoherent manner.
Information and ideas are very
poorly expressed, with weak
English and/or inappropriate style.
Work is extremely disorganised,
with much of the content
confusingly expressed. Very poor
English and/or very inappropriate
style.
9