Welcome! Want to find out more? Follow this tutorial, then launch Part 1 to get started.

Transcription

1 Welcome! Welcome to the Business Plan Wizard, an interactive learning environment all about business planning. You and two other students named Trina and Jordan are about to meet a Wizard who will show you how to create a business plan. Along the way, you ll also learn that the Wizard needs your help! Want to find out more? Follow this tutorial, then launch Part 1 to get started.

2 Browser Requirements The Business Plan Wizard works best in Internet Explorer 6 or later, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari. Adobe Flash Player version 10.1 or later must also be installed.

3 Navigating the Business Plan Wizard To familiarize yourself with how to get around, click the orange question mark button at the bottom left corner of the screen. A pop up box will appear that explains the navigational features.

4 Two Modes: Lesson and Template The Business Plan Wizard has two modes: lesson and template. In lesson mode, you ll receive instructional material to help you write your business plan. Template mode is the interface through which you enter information for your own business plan. It s accessed through the cell phone button at the top left corner of the screen. Lesson Mode Template Mode

5 Lesson Mode: Information Button In lesson mode, you can get helpful information on the part you re in by clicking the information button in the bottom right corner. A pop up box will appear with an overview of the part and the approximate time required to complete it. Close the pop up window by clicking anywhere within it.

6 Lesson Mode: Return and Advance To return to a previous frame(s), use the left arrow button at the bottom of the screen. DO NOT click the back button in the browser, as you will exit the program and lose any unsaved work. Similarly, if you want to proceed to the next frame, use the right arrow button at the bottom of the screen.

7 Lesson Mode: Hidden Advance Buttons For frames where there is no advance arrow, such as those shown below, click on an item in the screen to proceed.

8 Lesson Mode: Accessing Templates Any time you want to access a template while in lesson mode, click the cell phone icon at the top left corner. Your cell phone will open, allowing you to view any template you ve opened before along with any information you ve entered.

9 Lesson Mode: Pop up Templates Some parts have pop up templates that allow you to enter information while still in lesson mode. You can make entries here or wait till the end of the part, when you launch the full template for the part. Any information entered in a pop up template will appear in the full template and can be edited there.

10 Template Mode: Launching and Navigating At the end of a part, you ll receive a link to a template related to the material just covered. You can return to the lesson whenever you like using the Return button in the top left corner of your cell phone. Pressing the Back button in the template returns you to the template landing page where you can click links to see Trina s and Jordan s work. End of Part (Lesson Mode) Template Landing Page Template Mode

11 Template Mode: Text Entries Text fields in the templates come pre filled with the default entry Enter text here. To make entries, click on the default text and start typing.

12 Template Mode: Three types of costs There are three types of costs in the Business Plan Wizard costing tables: Start up: one time (non recurring) costs to get your business up and running. These are costs incurred before you begin operations. Monthly: recurring costs you pay monthly. Annual: recurring costs paid once a year after you begin operations. Examples are an accountant s fee to prepare your tax return or a licence renewal fee. Note: To avoid mistakes when entering a figure in a cost table, be sure to delete the zero that initially appears as the cell s default value.

13 Template Mode: Resources At any time during the use of the Business Plan Wizard, you can access additional resources through your cell phone, including a: Glossary of business terms Listing of helpful website links Microsoft Word version of the business plan template Spreadsheet to prepare a 12 month financial forecast

14 Template Mode: Finishing and Going to the Next Part When you finish filling in a template, click the Home button at the top right of the screen to return to the Home Page. The next part in the sequence will be unlocked. The parts you ve already viewed remain unlocked. Note: this is a good time to save your work (see next page).

15 Saving Your Work Whether you re in lesson or template mode, you can save your work at any time by clicking the floppy disk button at the top right corner. A popup box, like the one shown below, will appear. Save your work to a location that s easy to access and give it a name that s easy to remember.

16 Ending a Session When ending a session, remember to save your work before closing your browser. Save the file to a safe location such as a thumb drive, a network folder (if you have one) or a suitable place in your own computer. It s also possible to the file after saving it temporarily to a computer.

17 Resuming a Session After re launching the Business Plan Wizard, you can restore your previous session by clicking the Resume Previous Session button on the Home Page. A pop up box will appear that allows you to navigate to your saved file from your last session. Double click on the file and your previous session will be restored, including all your template entries.

18 Output File When you ve completed all parts of the Business Plan Wizard, you can save a formatted copy of your business plan for printing, ing or viewing in a browser. To save your plan, click the View Your Business Plan button on the Home Page and use the pop up box to select a location. Buttons to save your plan also appear in the Part 7 Template and the final version of the Resource tab in the cell phone.

19 Unlock File The parts of the Business Plan Wizard are designed to be used sequentially. However, the Business Plan Wizard can be unlocked so that parts can be viewed in any order. Click here to save the Unlock file to an easily accessible location, then use the Resume Previous Session button to upload it. Note: students should obtain permission from their teachers before unlocking the Wizard.

20 Returning to this Tutorial To access this tutorial at any time, return to the Home Page and click the Tutorial button. The Home Page is accessed by clicking the blue Home button at the bottom left corner of the screen.

21 You re Ready! Now that you ve viewed this tutorial, you re ready to start your adventure! Close this file and click the Part 1 button to get started.