BA Business Development

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS PLANNING

THE BLACKBOARD ACADEMY


Model: The Blackboard Academy Version: 1.0

Component: Value Proposition- teaching rooms with flexible cost and schedule

Hypothesis: Part-time teachers need temporary space for their activities

Test: Interview 20 part time teachers about 10 problems they face, and ask them to rank the 3 most relevant

Validation: First to be picked gets 3 points, second 2 points, and third 1 point. To validate the idea, the component needs at least 15 points.

Result:



Component: ChannelsHypothesis: Scheduling will come mostly trough the

web platformTest: Interview 20 part time teachers, to order

their favorite way to schedule a room. Choosing between: platform, in-house, phone, mail.

Validation: First to be picked gets 3 points, second 2 points, and third 1 point. To validate the idea, the component needs at least 15 points.

Result:



Component: Facilities content Hypothesis: Value of having extras vs. basic needs

Test: Interview 20 part time teachers if they would be willing to pay more for extras: computers, printing service, etc…

Validation: Yes / no answers. To pass, at least 15 “yes”

Result:

SWOT

StrengthsPrice paid over the use (Time, Facilities needed)

Increasing number of private lessons and private teachers

Companies of private lessons are performing

Global economic context (which would urge those

teachers to save-up)

Weaknesses

High risk due to booking volatility

Opportunities

Threats

Convenient location and services (printing, WIFI, conference TV, secretary…)

“New on the market/Modern concept”Paying could repel teachers: loss of earnings

Flexibility and versatility of rooms

TAM – SAM – SOM

TAM: 202.000

SOM: 5% of SAM= 510

SAM: 5% of teachers in Lisbon= 10.000; 10% of coaches = 200. Total: 10.200

TAM: nº of teachers in Lisbon : 200.000, nº of “coaches” : 2.000. Total : 202.000

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EMPATHY MAPS; DAY-IN-A-LIFE & PERSONAS

Luís Almeida

English teacher

Personal Objectives:Working hard to attain his goals, conciliate job with free-time, family and friends

Professional Objectives:Build an independent and successful business.

Profile: Luís is 24 and just entered the professional life. He took a Master of English in Universidade Lusíada of Lisbon. When he started this degree, he planned to get a PhD but by giving private lessons (in order to finance his studies), those lessons finally became his main professional activity. Indeed, it was obviously the most profitable and motivating way to teach english in Portugal. Luís found BlackboardAcademy the best solution for his business. Indeed, he ran out place to welcome his students. Or B.A provides him with a cheap and central place to teach, where he doesn’t have to worry about setting up and he has a flexible schedule.

Day-in-the-Life:Luís wakes up at 07:00 am, he takes his breakfast at home. His schedule is really flexible, but he is more busy at the end of the afternoon, after classes and especially during school holidays Concerning hobbies and habits, he has dinner out usually, with his friends. He plays football once a week: on Tuesdays at 8pm, and when he can he goes running after work. Luís goes to bed at midnight and watches an episode of TV show before turning the light off.He surfs every Saturday morning

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Joana Mendes

Coach

Personal Objectives:Balance work-life so that she has time for her family

Professional Objectives:Making coaching available to all sorts of businesses

Profile: Joana is 53 years old, married and mother of 3 children. She graduated in Psychology from ISPA . She worked for SONAE for 15 years, where she helped to design the new recruiting process. She was also a coach and speaker on many of the workshops organized by the company. Last year, she started developing her own coaching business with some contacts she made over the years. Her goal is to deliver coaching and formations to all companies, small and large. Although she can manage the scheduling and contact part of the business from home, she need a place to give coaching workshops. She heard about BlackboardAcademy and is very pleased with the conditions presented and the flexibility offered regarding the available equipment. Day-in-the-Life:Joana wakes up at 8am. She takes her breakfast with her husband, and always takes an espresso before going to the office. In the morning she has meeting with heads of departments, in order to consider their needs, and in the afternoon she has workshops/ phases of the recruiting process. She takes an hour of lunch break from 1pm to 2pm. Joana leaves the office at 7pm, and heads home where she prepares the dinner for her family. They all have dinner together at 8.45pm and usually after dinner she watches the news with her husband and manages the scheduling of her own coaching session. Joana already has 3 to 4 workshops/week of her own company, they are usually on Saturday mornings or Thursday afternoon from 6pm on.

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Luis Alfonso

Headman of ETS Global in Portugal

Personal Objectives:Balance work-private life in order to benefit from his come-back to Lisbon

Professional Objectives:Succeed in setting-up the worldwide company ETS in Portugal.

Profile: Luis Alfonso is 54 years old, married and has one daughter. He has been living in Lisbon for one year. He is graduated from Coimbra University . After that grade, he became English teacher in an high-school of Porto. When he came back last year in Lisbon where he grew up, he was hired by ETS (educational testing service) such as headman. ETS is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization. ETS has no center test in Portugal yet., that’s why Luis Alfonso is looking urgently for non-permanent rooms where students would be able to pass international exams as TOEFL, TOEIC, GRE, GMAT,…Because of an increasing demand , he is sure that, even when their first center will be built, ETS will need temporary rooms.Day-in-the-Life:Luis wakes up at 07:30 am, he takes his breakfast with his wife. After, his daughter wakes up, they have a coffee or a tea together. After, he get used to going to work at 09:30 am. During the morning he oversees the construction of the first ETS center, which is supposed to be finished in 2017. He also promotes ETS from Portuguese universities. Mr. Alfonso generally has lunch with business partners. He is currently looking for temporary rooms and he spends almost his afternoons for that. At 19:00, he comes home. On every Thursday, all his family, including his parents, go to a small restaurant in Alfama. Luis Alfonso isn’t really sporty but he tries to play tennis with an old colleague.

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Thank you!

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