Graduate Internship Focus: Creating a Business Plan

In considering what I wanted to do for my graduate internship, I decided to focus on tools that would help me establish a more detailed and refined approach to starting my own design business. After careful thought, I determined that researching the components of a business plan would be the most beneficial step forward. From this idea, I developed a self-directed learning proposal and assignment aimed at creating a hybrid business plan that combines elements from both a start-up business plan and a strategic business plan format.

Researching the Business Plan Structure

While researching business plans, I identified a format that encompassed all the key elements I would need for a start-up. This included the problem and solution statement, the executive summary, a company overview, company name and branding elements, services offered, website navigation strategy, SMART Goals, SWOT analysis, market analysis, industry trends, a marketing plan, a bio, financial start-up costs, and freelance contract considerations. These components formed the foundation of my business plan, ensuring that all essential aspects of starting a business were covered.

Incorporating the Brand Book

In addition to the business plan, I wanted to create a brand book, something I had learned about and developed in a previous marketing class. The brand book serves as a visual complement to the business plan, reinforcing many of the same concepts. It helps establish and communicate brand identity clearly and cohesively. My brand book includes elements such as a business model canvas, a "Know Your Why" section, brand tone, a simplified SWOT analysis, brand visuals, a color palette, inspiration for a logo, brand personas, website goals, key pages on the website, and CMS template ideas. The brand book is designed to provide a well-rounded view of the brand, from conceptualization to execution.

A Comprehensive Overview of My Internship Deliverables

Reflection on the Project and Future Planning

This project has been incredibly inspiring and valuable, as it holds intrinsic value for my future career. It allowed me to apply my technical writing and research skills in a meaningful way. I particularly enjoyed researching my direct competitors in Albuquerque, NM, and developing the brand book, which involved choosing the color scheme and designing the logo.

Next Steps: Content Outline and Website Production

There is still some work left to complete Phase 1 of my start-up business, which includes finalizing the content outline for the website and transitioning it into a live production website. Now that I have laid the foundation, I do not anticipate this part of the project to be particularly challenging. One of the main reasons I truly appreciated the opportunity for this self-directed learning project is that it propelled me to take the next step in planning for my future career, giving me a solid roadmap to move forward.