Lesson 3 (Business Presentation)

In Lesson 3, every groups will be given 15 min to present the idea that they have, followed by 5 min of Q&A (setup time is part of this 20 min). For groups that have yet to confirm what they will be doing, they are supposed to present on a list of what they are trying to explore and the difficulties they face as well as how they intent to overcome them. Poor time management for the presentation will result in deduction of points.

Instead of standard ppt presentation, every group is EXPECTED to use their blog site as a visual tool for the presentation. As such, it is expected that all the blog is updated with the content and the right layout by Lesson 3. In view of tie schedule, the lesson will start right on time and every group shall strictly follow the time allocated. Due to the big number of group for this batch, the lesson will be expected to start from 9am-1pm for the morning session and 1pm-5pm for the afternoon session. Yes, there shall be no lunch break for me so pardon me if I have to take my lunch in the class.

Many have asked about the format of lesson 3 and how they should be prepared for it. Below is the Q&A to guide you along and to set the expectation clear.

• 1. What is to be presented?

     • The business/project idea.

     • The expected milestone.

     • The team setup; If there are any outsource work, make it clear what are done within the group and what are outsourced.

     • Expected KPI.

     • Exit strategy or project closure strategy.

  2. Who is the assumed target audience of the presentation?

     • Assume you present to business plan judge! They include your classmates.

     • There will be a inter-group appraisal, whereby your classmates shall provide feedback and assessment. Their feedback and assessment shall be taken into consideration in your final grading.

  3. Is the business plan solely meant to be informative? Or are we trying to "sell" the business idea?

     • Sell a plan.

     • If the plan is to have multiple business, then let it be!

     • If the plan is not so much a business but a project of entrepreneurial endeavour, then sell it as it is and define a reasonable KPI.

  4. Does it involved any financing pitch?

     • Depend if the KPI of that project is financially driven.

     • You define your KPI. If you set it too low, even if you achieve it, you might not be graded high. If you set it too high and fail to achieve it, it will affect your grade too.

  5. Must everyone in the team present?

     • Not all team members need to present.

     • However, team spirit and bonding is an element of success in business. It is up to the team to "show" it in one way or another.

  6. Is the presentation graded?

     • The presentation is not directly graded but it will affect the grade due to inter-group appraisal done by other group members.

  7. Is it a formal presentation or casual session?

     • Up to your team to position it as formal or casual. Your objective is to impress the audiences that you have a good business/project idea and you have the plan to ensure success implementation.

     • The impression of truthfulness and honesty in your presentation is critical as it is one of the appraisal question!

  8. Are we expected to be in suit? Is its okay to be in our normal attire?

     • As long as you wear something and it is not obscene, your presentation are more important than your dressing ;-)