Startup Evaluation Investors

							Startup.com
Goal
   Training some professional communication
    skills
Skills
 Writing (a business plan)
 Speaking (presenting your concept)
 Listening (to the documentary
  “startup.com”)
Evaluation
   Permanent evaluation:
       15 points: writing assignment
       10 points: general participation, cooperation,
        consistent use of English during discussion


   Exam:
       15 points: speaking exam
       15 points: listening exam
Schedule
   Session 1: 27th of Feb
    - introduction
    - brainstorm session in groups
    - drawing up text scheme for business plan

    Result: by the end of the lesson, a text scheme is
    to be handed in to the teacher

    Evaluation: 5 points (PE)
   Session 2: 6th of March
    - writing a formal text: keys and techniques
    - in group: writing a complete business plan

    Result: by the end of the lesson, a complete
    business plan is to be handed in

    Evaluation: 10 points (PE)
   Session 3: 13th of March
    - how to give a convincing presentation?
    - turning your business plan into a convincing
    business presentation (with ppt, keywords,…)

Result: by the end of the lesson, the students hand
  in their preparation

Evaluation: 5 points (EX)
   Session 4: 17th of April

    - Listening exam
        documentary “Startup.com”

Evaluation: 15 points (EX)
   Session 5: 24th of April

    - speaking exam: presenting your business
    concept

Evaluation: 10 points (EX)
Session 1: business plan
 Goal: by the end of this lesson, you will
  hand in a text scheme for your business
  plan
 Steps:
       Brainstorming session
       Narrowing ideas down till 1 concept remains
       Elaborate this concept
       Draw up a text scheme for this concept
Brainstorming
   no holds barred!
   suggestions are NOT criticized!
   one person takes notes
Narrowing down
 In a group debate, you will decide which
  idea offers most opportunities.
 Now is the time of critique, rational
  deliberation and (counter-)argumentation.
Elaborate your concept
   Which products or services do we offer?
   Who is behind the company? (skills, motivation,
    complementarity)
   What is the market situation for your
    product/service?
   How do you differ from your rivals?
   Who is our target audience?
   SWOT: what are your strenghts, weaknesses,
    opportunities and threats?
   What is your business strategy?
   How will you commercialise your product or
    service?
Text scheme for business plan
 Create subdivisions
 Title of each subdivision = question
  What follows = keyword answers to that
  question
 Logical build-up from one section to the
  next
 Divide information logically over
  subdivisions
Writing the business plan
Writing your business plan
Pay attention to:
-style: formal, business-like (formal
  vocabulary, no contractions,…)
-attractiveness: well-written, an easy and
  good read
-correctness: spelling and grammar
-structure
Structure within the paragraph
 Make sure the content given underneath a
  certain heading is directly relevant to that
  heading
 Make your sentences belong to each other
Possibilities for connecting and
ordering:
 Chronological
 Enumerative
 Contrastive
 Elaborative
 Conclusive
 Causal
 Explanatory
 conditional
Using appropriate connectors
Chronological   because, thus, in conclusion, first,
Enumerative     second, additionally, summing it up,
Contrastive     later, for that reason, if, in contrast,
                in summation, before, contrary to,
Elaborative     nevertheless, since, this goes to
Conclusive      show that…, as well, moreover, more
Causal          specifically, after all, then, on the
Explanatory     contrary, in all, for instance, but,
Conditional     however, although, also, in addition,
                furthermore
Grammar: comma ≠ full stop
   Between two equivalent clauses, you use
       and/or/but/ :
       a full stop


   Between a subclause and a main clause, you use
    a comma

    e.g.
“The company offers good quality, this will attract customers.”
“The company offers good quality. Because this way it hopes to
  attract customers.”
Grammar: conjugated verb
   Beware of grammatically incomplete
    sentences (you need subject+verb+…)

e.g.

“This because…”
Spelling: common mistakes
   Beware of the following common mistakes:
       This/these
       To/too
       „s / -s
       Adjective/adverb
       There/Their/They‟re
       Of/off
       Good/well
       Full/-ful
       Who/that
       Allways
       bussiness
Some useful vocabulary
   See hand-out
Business presentation
 You present your business plan to a group
  of potential investors
 Try to convince them that your company
  is definitely worth the investment!
 Bear in mind all of the techniques we
  studied throughout the year with respect
  to presentations.
 Every student speaks for 5 minutes at
  least.