An applications Approach to understanding entrepreneurial concepts and the entrepreneurial process.

Business Model Analysis is part 6 of 11

This lesson plan was developed in response to my own frustrations at not having a good overview of all the interconnected steps in the business building process and my clients desire for organizing and aligning their current efforts. Many of my colleagues have argued that the checklist of things required of the entrepreneur are so interdependent, that a sequence is simply impossible. And this fact is mentioned regularly in this lesson plan. But in the real world, we all start each day with a checklist, mental or actually scribbled down somewhere, of what we’re going to do that day. If we analyze this list properly, it becomes obvious that there is a sequence in that many of the items on the list are dependent on previous items being completed or at least started. And it’s my belief that this sequencing of events is tremendously useful in understanding the interdependence of each item in the process and in organizing efforts so that no part of the process is neglected.

In developing this process, I also wanted to include examples of the use of each concept discussed. And although the development of TixToGo and the reinvigoration of GE and many others case studies found on the Harvard Business Review web site are excellent and very useful case studies to read, they can add more tedious reading to what can be a difficult process. So, risking ridicule and ire from established consultants and academics alike, I’ve included a hypothetical case study of my own, Surviving and Profiting from the Zombie Apocalypse, in which survivors utilize the lesson plans here in their attempt to build a post apocalyptic product.

There are 11 plans divided into 4 sections: the actual descriptive lesson, sample questions for students to discuss, an answer key and finally, a Zombie Apocalypse application of the concepts covered in each lesson plan. The overview sequence chart above is further broken down in each lesson plan into smaller sections. It’s hoped the target market, high school and university level entrepreneurial students, will find the application interesting and provide them with a better understanding of the material.

I would love to hear comments and suggestions. Meanwhile, enjoy the process and avoid the zombies.


Survivng & Profiting from the Zombie Apocalypse by George J Constance, Jr. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.