Feasibility Studies and Business Planning: Turning Ideas into Viable Ventures (Online / Remote)
1Summary
Every year, promising business ideas fail not because the idea was wrong, but because nobody tested whether it could actually work before the money went out the door. A feasibility study is the safeguard against that — a structured way to test a concept before committing scarce capital to it, so that only ideas with a real, provable chance of success ever reach the business-planning stage. This course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy walks participants from that first proof-of-concept test through to a complete, bankable business plan.
A feasibility study only earns its place if it tackles the issues that actually decide whether a new project succeeds — weighing the strengths and weaknesses of every option available so they can be ranked and prioritised, then closing with a clear, concise report on objectives, conclusions and recommended next steps. Participants leave with practical guidelines for what a feasibility study should contain and how to run one with confidence, whether managing the process themselves or overseeing someone else who does.
2Objectives and target group
Programme Objectives
- Connect feasibility studies, business plans and corporate strategy into a single decision-making chain.
- Run a robust, dynamic proof of concept, then develop, implement and evaluate a feasibility study around it.
- Identify organisational problems and opportunities, and define what a successful outcome actually looks like.
- Set business plan goals and fold the feasibility study findings into a plan that holds together.
Who Should Attend
- Operations managers and team leaders.
- Marketing and business development specialists.
- Systems analysts and business process designers.
- Financial analysts, management accountants and change management specialists.
3Course Content
Module 1: Feasibility Studies 101 — What They Are and When You Need One
- What a feasibility study is, and when it should be used.
- The concept of a project and its various stages, and where a feasibility study sits within them.
- Why a feasibility study matters for a project's eventual success.
Module 2: The Five Types of Feasibility Study
- Marketing feasibility: concept, required data and importance.
- Operational and economic feasibility: concept, required data and importance.
- Environmental and administrative feasibility: concept, required data and importance.
Module 3: Obstacles to Feasibility Studies — and the Technology That Solves Them
- Rapid change and an unstable external environment, and the difficulty of estimating indirect variables.
- Unavailable data, conflicting information and technical difficulties.
- How modern technology helps overcome these obstacles and produces more accurate results.
Module 4: From Feasibility Study to Business Plan
- The difference between a strategic plan and a business plan, and between a feasibility study and a business plan.
- Where the feasibility study fits within the business planning process, and how to create and protect “value”.
- Understanding real business needs, and shaping a vision, mission and strategy around them.
Module 5: Weighing Options, Risk and Stakeholders
- Distinguishing needs from wants, and conducting a proper option analysis.
- Creative thinking and problem-solving, and the risk management process in application.
- Identifying and assessing the risks of the preferred option, and managing key stakeholders around it.
Module 6: Reporting, Building and Executing the Business Plan
- Determining the most viable option and applying financial analysis technology to it.
- Creating a feasibility report, and the communication and interpersonal skills that make a proof of concept succeed.
- Business planning process and key elements, measuring performance, and executing and reviewing the plan against results.