Thesis Activity Report - Essay Example

Activity Report: Week Email: The primary objective during the first week of this study was to undertake a preliminary literature review to collect all required information pertaining to the research topic – Analysis of business plans and their role in guiding investment decisions. As per the work schedule, a number of books, journals and online databases were analyzed and a large volume of data pertaining to the specifics of business plans and their utility for investors was collected. Additionally, the past week was also spent in identifying certain benchmarks that were used by venture capitalists in selecting a good business prospect.

For example, investors favor deals that provide a minimum stake of at least 30% during the initial rounds of financing. They also favor ideas that deliver returns within a period of 5-7 years. Besides, certain performance measures like return on investment (ROI) and payback period were identified to be crucial in determining the feasibility of a business idea. From an overall perspective, the project is on track with the proposed work schedule and deliverables. Activity Report: Week 2 Date: Email: The primary objective during the second week of this study was to continue with the literature analysis and prepare the initial groundwork for the questionnaire based surveys.

The early part of this week was devoted towards the identification and scrutiny of various investment and performance benchmarks (as described in the previous week’s activity report). Over 10 investment criteria (deducible from a business plan’s contents) and 6 performance measures have been included so far. The questionnaires that will be provided to VCs and Entrepreneurs are currently being prepared and are expected to be ready by the end of the third week. Efforts are underway to include as many numerical questions as possible (Questions that require the respondent to provide a rating or a numerical answer) to facilitate a broad quantitative analysis.

The preparation of the questionnaires is expected to take another 2 days. Thereafter, a number of potential respondents (both VCs and Entrepreneurs) will be contacted during the coming week to request their participation in the surveys. From an overall perspective, the project is on track with the proposed work schedule and deliverables.