A venture proposal should begin with a specific customer problem. Describe who experiences it, how they currently solve it and why a different solution might help. A campus printing service, for instance, needs a clearer proposition than simply offering printing.
List the assumptions that could make the idea fail. Students may already have a cheaper provider, demand may be seasonal or delivery may cost more than expected. Turn each assumption into a question you can investigate through observation or a short interview.
Separate revenue from profit. Estimate the price per order, the variable cost of fulfilling it and the fixed costs of operating. Compare more than one demand scenario. These are planning assumptions for a classroom exercise, not forecasts of guaranteed income.
Use your findings to revise the proposal. A useful venture plan explains its evidence, its costs and the next small test. Keep a simple transaction record during the exercise so your entrepreneurship work also reinforces the bookkeeping concepts taught in the accounting curriculum.
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