| Course | MAN-2300 Introduction to Entrepreneurship |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 5 |
| Paper type | Module 5 written assignment: growing an entrepreneurial firm |
| Length | About 556 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | B.S. in Entrepreneurship |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MAN 2300 Module 5
Growing Beyond One Summer: Choosing a Growth Path for a Paddle Tour Company
Student Name
B.S. in Entrepreneurship, Thomas Edison State University
MAN-2300: Introduction to Entrepreneurship
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Growing Beyond One Summer: Choosing a Growth Path for a Paddle Tour Company
The Situation After Two Seasons
In its second season the paddle company earned about $48,000 before taxes, tours sold out on most weekends and two schools asked whether we could run field trips. The founder, still teaching, wants the business to grow but not to swallow her life or her savings. Barringer and Ireland (2025) note that growth brings challenges as well as rewards: cash flow strain, the need to delegate and the risk of losing what made the business distinctive.
Four Growth Options
Ansoff (1957) sorted growth strategies by whether a firm sells current or new products in current or new markets. The four options fall into different cells.
| Option | Ansoff cell | Capital needed | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| More tours and rentals on the same bay | Market penetration | Low: a few more boats | Weekend capacity and dock limits |
| School field trips in spring and fall | Market development | Low: curriculum and certification | Cold water and school budgets |
| A second site in Cape May | Market development | High: second fleet and dock | Management stretched across two sites |
| Franchising the tour concept | Product and market expansion | Moderate: legal and training system | Quality depends on franchisees' expertise |
Evaluating the Options
Market penetration is limited: on summer weekends the dock and the guides are already at capacity, and adding more weekday tours earns less. School field trips use the existing fleet and the founder's teaching credentials in months when the business sits idle, which spreads fixed costs such as insurance and the van over more revenue. The main risks are cold water in April and October, which requires wetsuits and stricter safety rules, and school budgets. A second site in Cape May would roughly double revenue but also capital, and since Robb and Robinson (2014) found that young firms rely mainly on bank debt, it would likely mean a second large loan, and the founder could not guide at both sites while teaching. Franchising, which Barringer and Ireland describe as a way to grow with others' capital, depends on finding franchisees with scientific expertise, the very thing that makes the tours distinctive.
Recommendation
The company should grow in sequence. First, launch school field trips next spring, starting with the two schools that asked, using a curriculum aligned with New Jersey's science standards and wetsuits for cold-water safety. Second, add sunset and early-morning tours on the bay to raise weekday revenue. Third, revisit a second site only after the founder decides whether to leave teaching, since that site requires a full-time manager. Franchising should be set aside because it would dilute the expertise that defines the brand.
Managing Growth
Growth will require delegating. The company should promote its most experienced guide to operations lead, responsible for rentals and scheduling, so the founder can focus on tours and school programs. It should also build a cash reserve before committing to the shoulder seasons, since school payments may arrive weeks after trips.
Conclusion
After two good seasons, the paddle company's best growth path is to fill its idle months with school field trips, then add weekday tours, while postponing a second site and rejecting franchising. That sequence grows revenue without new debt and protects the expertise that made the business succeed. The decision on a second site will be revisited in two years.
References
Ansoff, H. I. (1957). Strategies for diversification. Harvard Business Review, 35(5), 113-124.
Barringer, B. R., & Ireland, R. D. (2025). Entrepreneurship: Successfully launching new ventures (7th ed.). Pearson.
Robb, A. M., & Robinson, D. T. (2014). The capital structure decisions of new firms. Review of Financial Studies, 27(1), 153-179. https://doi.org/10.1093/rfs/hhs072
MAN 2300 Module 5 instructions, in plain terms
The fifth written assignment covers growing an entrepreneurial firm. Expect questions on the challenges of growth and on internal strategies, such as new products and new markets, and external strategies, such as partnerships, acquisitions and franchising. Apply them to your venture by comparing several options on capital, risk and fit, then recommend a path and a pace. Tables help when comparing options. Address how the founder's role must change as the business grows, since growth often fails on management rather than on demand. Use a framework such as Ansoff's matrix to organize the options, and compare them on the same criteria, such as capital, risk and fit with what makes the business distinctive. Consider timing as well as direction.
Inside the MAN 2300 Module 5 example
The paper opens with the venture's situation after two seasons and the challenges growth brings. A table places four options on Ansoff's matrix with capital needs and risks. An evaluation section judges each option against the business's real constraints. A recommendation sets a sequence and rejects franchising for a stated reason. A section on managing growth addresses delegation and cash, and the conclusion summarizes the path in two sentences. A table sets the options side by side, and a short paragraph evaluates each one. The recommendation is a sequence rather than a single choice, with conditions for the later steps, which reflects how small firms actually grow.
Reading the MAN 2300 Module 5 grading rubric
Growth answers earn credit for correct growth concepts and strategies, sound evaluation of options, a justified recommendation and clear writing with citations. Papers that compare several options on the same criteria, and that tie the recommendation to the venture's constraints, show judgment. Addressing how the founder's role and the firm's cash must change demonstrates understanding of growth's challenges. A sequenced plan earns more than a single choice because it shows the writer thinking about timing. Mentors also credit papers that identify what the firm must protect as it grows, such as its quality or the founder's expertise, and that reject options which would put it at risk. Accurate citations complete the paper.
Common MAN 2300 Module 5 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Growth papers lose marks for recommending rapid growth without addressing capital or management, for describing growth strategies without applying them or for ignoring the challenges of growth. Others choose franchising for businesses that depend on the founder's skill. Judge every option by the same yardsticks. Explain why you rejected the others. Set a pace your venture can manage. Say who will take on new responsibilities. Consider whether growth requires the founder to change jobs or hours, and plan for it. Show how growth will be paid for before recommending it. Name the person responsible for each new line the firm opens. A free first sample on your own MAN-2300 Module 5 assignment is available on request.
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More MAN 2300 and B.S. in Entrepreneurship sample papers
- MAN 2300 Module 1: Written Assignment: Should a Teacher Start a Paddle Tour Business?
- MAN 2300 Module 2: Written Assignment: A Feasibility Analysis for Ecology Paddle Tours
- MAN 2300 Module 3: Written Assignment: A Business Model and Legal Form for the Paddle Company
- MAN 2300 Module 4: Written Assignment: Startup Costs, Break-Even and How to Fund the Fleet
- MAN 2300 Module 6: Written Assignment: Building the Team and Managing the Paddle Company
MAN 2300 Module 5 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MAN 2300 Module 5 sample paper?
Four ways to grow a seasonal paddle business, compared on Ansoff's matrix, appear above with a sequenced recommendation.
What is Ansoff's growth matrix?
A two-by-two of products and markets, current or new, that yields four growth paths: penetration, market development, product development and diversification.
What challenges come with growth?
Cash flow strain, the need to delegate and the risk of losing what made the business distinctive.
When does franchising make sense?
When a business can be standardized and taught to others; it fits poorly when success depends on the founder's expertise.
Why grow in sequence?
To test each step and build cash and management capacity before committing to larger moves.