BusinessPlanDevelopment

At the beginning of my master’s program, I predicted that Business Plan Development would be a course about putting a business idea on paper. I expected to write about my company, describe my audience, research competitors, and create a basic plan for how MO Productions could enter the entertainment market. In my mind, the course looked like a blueprint assignment. I thought I would be building the walls of the business plan, one section at a time, until the final paper was complete.

The actual course experience has been more like walking through the business before the doors are even open. The structure of the class has helped with that process because each week focuses on a different part of the business plan. Instead of throwing everything together at once, the course breaks the work into sections such as company description, target market, marketing, operations, technology, management, staffing, and start-up costs. That structure has made the plan easier to manage while still forcing me to think carefully about each decision.

The biggest difference between my prediction and the actual experience is how real the course has made the business feel. I expected to explain the creative side of MO Productions, but I did not expect to spend so much time thinking about numbers, expenses, staffing needs, working capital, and realistic operations. That part pulled the business idea out of imagination and placed it on the table like a real company that needs money, structure, discipline, and strategy.

Overall, my prediction was partly correct because the course is centered on developing a business plan. However, the actual experience has been deeper and more practical than I expected. This course has shown me that a strong business plan is not just a document. It is a rehearsal before opening night.