Generation and Screening of

Project Ideas

Generation of ideas Monitoring the environment Corporate appraisal Profit potential of industries : Porter model Scouting for project ideas Preliminary screening Project rating index Sources of positive net present value On being an entrepreneur

Generation of Ideas
To stimulate the flow of ideas, the following are helpful SWOT analysis Clear articulation of objectives

Fostering a conducive environment

Business Environment

Competitor

Corporate Appraisal
Marketing and distribution

Production and operations

Research and development Corporate resources and personnel Finance and accounting

Tools for Identifying Investment Opportunities

There are several tools or frameworks that are helpful in identifying promising investment opportunities. The more popular ones are: Porter model Life cycle approach Experience Curve

Porter Model
According to Michael Porter the profit potential of an industry
depends on the combined strength of the five basic competitive forces as shown below
Forces Driving Industry Competition
Potential Entrants Threat of New Entrants Bargaining Power of Suppliers
THE INDUSTRY Rivalry Among Existing Firms

Suppliers

Bargaining Power of Buyers

Buyers

Threat of Substitute Products Substitutes

Life Cycle Approach

Many industrial economists believe that most products evolve through a life cycle that has four stages: Pioneering stage Rapid growth stage Maturity and stabilisation stage

Decline stage
Investment in the pioneering stage, per se, may have a low

return and negative NPV. However, it may create options

for participating in growth.

Most products evolve through a life cycle. The broad stages and the investment returns in these stages are as follows:
Stage Investment Returns May have negative NPV but may create options for participating in growth stage

Pioneering

Rapid growth
Maturity Decline

Positive NPV
NPV - neutral Negative

Experience Curve
The experience curve shows how the cost per unit behaves with respect to the accumulated volume of production

100

80

60 40
10 20 40 80

Accumulated volume of production

The key factors that contribute to decline in unit cost with respect to the accumulated volume of production are learning effects, technological improvements, and economies of scale

Scouting for Project Ideas

Analyse the performance of existing industries Examine the inputs and outputs of various industries Review imports and exports Study plan outlays and governmental guidelines Look at the suggestions of financial institutions and development agencies

Investigate into local materials and resources

Analyse economic and social trends Study new technological developments Draw clues from consumption abroad Explore the possibility of reviving sick units Identify unfulfilled psychological needs Attend trade fairs Stimulate creativity for generating new product ideas Hope the chance factor will favour you

Preliminary Screening

Compatibility with the promoter Consistency with governmental priorities Availability of inputs Adequacy of market Reasonableness of cost Acceptability of risk level

Project Rating Index

The steps involved in determining the project rating index are

as follows
Identify factors relevant for project rating Assign weights to these factors ( the weights are supposed to reflect their relative importance) Rate the project proposal on various factors, using a suitable rating scale

(Typically a 5-point scale or a 7-point scale is used for this purpose.)

For each factor, multiply the factor rating with the factor weight to get the factor score

Add all the factor scores to get the overall project rating index

Construction of a Rating Index

Factor Weight VG 5 Input availability Technical know-how Reasonableness of cost Adequacy of market Complementary relationship with other products Stability Dependence on firms strength Consistency with governmental priorities 0.25 0.10 0.05 0.15 0.05 0.10 0.20 0.10 Rating Index 4.00 G 4 A 3 P 2 VP 1 0.75 0.40 0.20 0.75 0.20 0.40 1.00 0.30 Factor Rating Score Factor

Sources of Positive NPV

It appears that there are six main entry barriers that result in positive NPV projects. They are as follows:

Economies of scale Product differentiation Cost advantage Marketing reach Technological edge Government policy

The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer

According to Amar Bhide the following are the questions that every entrepreneur must answer:

Are my goals well defined ? Personal aspirations Business sustainability and size Tolerance for risk Do I have the right strategy? Clear definition Profitability and potential for growth Durability Rate of growth

Can I execute the strategy Resources Organizational infrastructure The founders role

Qualities and Traits of a Successful Entrepreneur It appears that a successful entrepreneur has the following qualities and traits :

Willingness to make sacrifices Leadership Decisiveness Confidence in the project Marketing orientation Strong ego Open-mindedness