BUS357 End-of-Course Assessment

Instruction To Students

1. This End-of-Course Assessment paper comprises 12 pages (including the cover page).
2. You are to include the following particulars in your submission: Course Code, Title of the ECA, SUSS PI No., Your Name, and Submission Date.
3. Late submission will be subjected to the marks deduction scheme. Please refer to the Student Handbook for details.

 IMPORTANT NOTE

ECA Submission Deadline: Monday, 30 March 2026, 12:00 pm

ECA Submission Guidelines

Please follow the submission instructions stated below:

A – What Must Be Submitted

You are required to submit the following THREE (3) items for marking and grading: 

• A Report (you should submit this item first as it carries the highest weightage).
• A Video Presentation: refer to Canvas T/TG/RESIT course site > Assignments > ECA_VIDEO for the step-by-step guide on how to submit the video.
• The set of PowerPoint slides, converted to PDF, upon which the video presentation is based.

Please verify your submissions after you have submitted the above THREE (3) items.

B – Submission Deadline

• The THREE (3) items of Report, Video and Presentation Summary are to be submitted by 12 noon on the submission deadline.
• You are allowed multiple submissions till the cut-off date for each of the THREE (3) items.
• Late submission of any of the THREE (3) items will be subjected to mark-deduction scheme by the University. Please refer to Section 5.2 Para 2.4 of the Student Handbook.

C – How the (3) Items Should Be Submitted

• The Report: submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (for plagiarism detection)
• The Video: submit online to Canvas (refer to Canvas T/TG/RESIT course site >
• Assignments > ECA_VIDEO for the step-by-step guide on how to submit the video)
• The Presentation Summary:
  o Submit online to Canvas via TurnItIn (PPT must be converted to PDF and submission is in PDF only)
  o The PPT must contain at least 20 words
• Avoid using a public WiFi connection for submitting large video files. If you are using public wireless (WiFi) connection (e.g. SG Wireless at public areas), you might encounter a break in the connection when sending large files.

D – Additional guidelines on file formatting are given as follows

E – Please be Aware of the Following

Submission in hardcopy or any other means not given in the above guidelines will not be accepted. You do not need to submit any other forms or cover sheets (e.g. form ET3) with your ECA.

You are reminded that electronic transmission is not immediate. The network traffic may be particularly heavy on the date of submission deadline and connections to the system cannot be guaranteed. Hence, you are advised to submit your work early. Canvas will allow you to submit your work late but your work will be subjected to the mark-deduction scheme. You should therefore not jeopardise your course result by submitting your ECA at the last minute.

It is your responsibility to check and ensure that your files are successfully submitted to Canvas.  

F – Plagiarism and Collusion  

Plagiarism and collusion are forms of cheating and are not acceptable in any form in a student’s work, including this ECA. Plagiarism and collusion are taking work done by others or work done together with others respectively and passing it off as your own. You can avoid plagiarism by giving appropriate references when you use other people’s ideas, words or pictures (including diagrams). Refer to the APA Manual if you need reminding about quoting and referencing. You can avoid collusion by ensuring that your submission is based on your own individual effort.   

The electronic submission of your ECA will be screened by plagiarism detection software. For more information about plagiarism and collusion, you should refer to the Student Handbook (Section 5.2.1.3). You are reminded that SUSS takes a tough stance against plagiarism or collusion. Serious cases will normally result in the student being referred to SUSS’s Student Disciplinary Group. For other cases, significant mark penalties or expulsion from the course will be imposed.

G – Use of Generative AI Tools (Allowed)

The use of generative AI tools is allowed for this assignment.

• You are expected to provide proper attribution if you use generative AI tools while completing the assignment, including appropriate and discipline-specific citation, a table detailing the name of the AI tool used, the approach to using the tool (e.g. what prompts were used), the full output provided by the tool, and which part of the output was adapted for the assignment;
• To take note of section 3, paragraph 3.2 and section 5.2, paragraph 2A.1 (Viva Voce) of the Student Handbook;
• The University has the right to exercise the viva voce option to determine the authorship of a student’s submission should there be reasonable grounds to suspect that the submission may not be fully the student’s own work.
• For more details on academic integrity and guidance on responsible use of generative AI tools in assignments, please refer to the TLC website for more details;
• The University will continue to review the use of generative AI tools based on feedback and in light of developments in AI and related technologies. 

All use of AI must be acknowledged. You should provide in-text citation, references in the reference section and the attribution table. Please click here to learn more about academic integrity.

Attribution Table

Please include the following table for acknowledgement of generative AI (Gen AI) use. This table should be included after the reference section of your assignment.

Video Presentation Evaluation Criteria  

Note:  Students will be assessed on the quality of the presentation and not the quality of the video recording. However, the recording is expected to have video and audio clarity. Showing your PowerPoint projection in the background is NOT required.

Organisation of Presentation                                                                                     o/8

• Logical flow of presentation

Posture & Body Language                                                                                         o/5

• Posture: Standing, straight back etc…
• Body language:

– Hand gestures supporting oral arguments, etc…

Eye-Contact                                                                                                                o/5

• Looking at the video camera
• No reading of slides or notes or cue cards

Pace & Articulation                                                                                                   o/7

• Pace: Speaks neither too fast nor too slow
• Articulation: Oral expression is clear and confident in the presentation.

TOTAL                                                                                                                     o/25

Presentation Summary Evaluation Criteria

• Ability to use creative elements to value-add to the presentation so as to enhance understanding and clarity of difficult concepts

TOTAL                                                                                                                     o/10

Important Note: Grading of TMA/GBA/ECA Submissions

Marks awarded to your assignment are based on the following guidelines:

1. 80% of the marks are allocated to the content of your answers:

• The marks awarded to what your answers cover depend on the extent to which they cover the key points that correctly and comprehensively address each question.
• The key points should be supported by evidence drawn from course materials and, wherever relevant, from other credible sources.

2. 20% of the marks are allocated to the presentation of your answers:

Wherever applicable, the marks awarded to how your answers are presented depend on the extent to which your answers:

• form a sound reasoning by developing those key points in a clear, logical and succinct manner;
• provide proper and adequate in-text citations and referencing to content drawn from course materials and other credible sources;
• strictly follow APA formatting and style guidelines, in particular for:
  ➢in-text citations and end-of-report references;
  ➢the identification of figures and tables;
• use, wherever relevant, the specialised vocabulary and terminology commonly used in discussions about the topic(s) covered by each question;
• provide a reference or bibliography at the end of the main report;
• include the less relevant details in an Appendix;
• use sentence constructions that are grammatically and syntactically correct;
• are free from spelling mistakes; present the workings, numerical formulations and results in a logical manner that follows the APA formatting and style guidelines;
• design and present graphs, diagrams and plots that follow the APA formatting and style guidelines;
• are highly original;
• have proper formatting, which may:
  ➢include a properly formatted cover page;
  ➢respect the answer length/word count set out in the assignment guidelines, if any is prescribed;
  ➢present answers in paragraphs with proper spacing and page margins;
  ➢include page numbers and appendices, if necessary.     

Section A (65 marks)

Answer all questions in this section.

Question 1

Singapore’s workforce has seen a significant shift towards hybrid and remote working arrangements in recent years. Knowledge workers, freelancers and small business owners increasingly seek flexible workspaces that provide not only a desk, but also a supportive community and professional services. Traditional co-working spaces often cater to larger start-ups or corporate teams, and may not always meet the needs of solo founders, freelancers and very small teams who require a more personalised and affordable environment.

You identify a business opportunity to start an independent hybrid co-working and entrepreneurial hub that targets:

• freelancers and remote workers,
• solo entrepreneurs and micro-business owners (1–3 staff), and
• early-stage founders who require a professional space to meet clients, run small workshops and access basic business support.

Your concept, “LaunchPad Studio”, combines:

• hot-desking and dedicated desk plans,
• small meeting rooms and a cosy event space for up to 20 participants,
• add-on services such as basic business clinics (e.g., accounting, branding, digital marketing workshops) in partnership with external professionals, and
• a small pantry area with complimentary beverages to encourage informal networking.

To ensure accessibility and visibility, you intend to locate the business within walking distance of an MRT station in a mixed commercial–residential area.

However, starting and operating such a hub requires significant initial investment in renovation, furniture, IT infrastructure (Wi-Fi, printers, access control system), and working capital for rent and staff salaries. You do not have sufficient capital to start the business on your own. You have therefore approached a potential investor who is open to the concept and is prepared to provide funding through a mix of equity and an interest-bearing personal loan. You will need to prepare a business proposal, and a short presentation to the investor to formally seek funding and offer some equity in return.

Required

You are to construct a Business Model Canvas to analyse the opportunity for launching

“LaunchPad Studio”, an independent co-working and entrepreneurial hub, in the Singapore market. In your report, you should appraise in detail each component of the business model canvas.

The report should also include a detailed 3-year financial analysis to demonstrate the financial viability of the venture to the investor.

Guidelines and Assumptions

1. The primary revenue-generating activity of the proposed business must be an independent co-working and entrepreneurial hub. Operating as a franchised unit or under a global co-working brand is not allowed.
2. The proposed location will be a 2nd-floor commercial unit at PLQ Mall (Paya Lebar Quarter, 409051). There is one unit available: 1,400 square feet at a monthly rental cost of $10,500. The unit is unfurnished bare but in ready-torenovate condition. There is a minimum lease period of three (3) years.
3. Rental deposit required is equivalent to two (2) months’ rental, to be paid together with the first month’s rental upon commencement of the lease. Subletting is not allowed.
4. The first month of operations is the gestation period of the new business (renovation, furnishing, staff recruitment and training, marketing launch, etc.). The first revenue can only be received from the second month onwards.
5. The depreciation for any capital expenditure (e.g., renovation, furniture, equipment) is based on straight line over three (3) years.
6. You will invest $70,000 of the Total Investment Required (TIR) as your Equity Capital, with the balance of the TIR to be funded by the potential investor in a combination of equity capital and an interest-bearing personal loan. The investor stated that he is only willing to invest between 40% to 60% of the Balance of the TIR as his Equity Capital. Therefore, you will need to propose the amount and subsequently determine the corresponding shareholding offered to the investor. The remaining shortfall in the Balance of the TIR will be extended as a loan from the investor to the business at the start, with only interest payable each month (see further for Cost of Debt) and the full repayment of the principal on the 36th month.
7. The following Cost of Capital (Weighted Average Cost of Capital, WACC) formula must be used (no marks will be awarded if any other WACC formula is used):                                                                        E                                      D
                                  WACC         =        x  R_e          +        x  R_d           x   (1 – T_c)
   V                                     V
   ➢ R_e = Cost of Equity
   ➢ R_d = Cost of Debt
   ➢ E = Funding from Equity
   ➢ D = Funding from Debt / Loans
   ➢ V = E + D (i.e., total funding)
   ➢ E/V = Percentage of Financing that is Equity
   ➢ D/V = Percentage of Financing that is Debt
   ➢ T_c = Corporate Tax Rate at 17%
8. Specific Tax Exemptions, Credits and Reliefs (e.g., Tax Exemption Scheme for New Start-Up Companies), Concessions, Rebates, Loss-Carrying Forward and similar Schemes are to be ignored in computations.
9. The financial statements, together with the key major assumptions made (e.g., membership and desk occupancy forecast, pricing plans, workshop/event revenue, major capital expenditure items, etc.), must be included in the main report. Other supporting details and evidence may be placed in the Appendix.
10. The financial statements must be inserted and properly resized as embedded objects clearly displayed in MS Word (use “INSERT > OBJECT” function) and NOT as a picture, image, link to an external document or as an attachment. The embedded Excel object must show the monthly figures with a total for the year. In addition, the same Excel file with the financial statements and assumptions should be attached as an icon to the document in the main report.
11. The report should be formatted with 2.54cm (1-inch) margin all around, typed in Times New Roman 12-point with 1.5 line spacing for the paragraphs. All graphs, tables and images must be numbered and titled.
12. You must follow the report format provided below with answers for each section clearly demarcated by its respective sub-header numbering and title.
13. In addition to the course materials provided, you are free to conduct library and field research.
14. Any assumptions made must be supported by appropriate references shown in the appendices. All sources must be properly cited in the text and included in the reference list.
15. The main report, including the Executive Summary, must not exceed 3,000 words – excluding cover page, Table of Contents, Appendices and reference list. Marks will be deducted for excessive length.

ECA REPORT FORMAT

[Name of Company]

[Date]

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary (Maximum 500 words)

(indicate word count)

8 marks

2. The Business Model  

2.1 The Business Model Canvas

2.2  Analysis of Each of the Business Model Canvas Components based on Research Data

30 marks

3. Financial Analysis

3.1 Key Assumptions Made and Excel File Attachment (as icon)

3.2 3-Year Pro-forma Income Statement (1^st to 3^rd year displayed on a columnar monthly basis)

3.3  3-Year Pro-forma Cash Flow Statement (1^st to 3^rd year displayed on a columnar monthly basis)

18 marks

4. Investment Proposal

4.1   Total Investment Required, Proportion and Justification for Equity-Debt Ratio required from Investor

4.2   Expected Financial Returns:

• Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)*
• Valuation (based on the discounted cash flow method)
• Net Present Value (NPV)
• Internal Rate of Return (IRR)*

*correct to 2 decimal places

You must use the following rates in your calculations:

• Cost of Equity (R_e) at 12%
• Cost of Debt (R_d) at 7%
• Corporate Tax Rate (T_c) at 17%

4.3  Percentage Shareholding Offered to Investor

9 marks

ECA Written Report                                                            Total  = 65 marks

Section B (25 marks)

Answer all questions in this section.

Question 2

Practise making a pitch presentation by preparing a video recording of the presentation of at least 3 minutes but not exceeding 6 minutes. Refer to Canvas T/TG/RESIT course site > Assignments > ECA_VIDEO for the step-by-step guide on how to submit the video.

(25 marks)

Section C (10 marks)

Answer all questions in this section.

Question 3

Develop a set of PowerPoint presentation slides upon which the video presentation is based. Please note that the PowerPoint must be converted to PDF before submission to Canvas.

(10 marks)

—– END OF ECA PAPER —–

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