Feasibility Studies and Business Planning: Turning Ideas into Viable Ventures
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.