| Course | BUS 400 Driving Business Opportunities |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | undergraduate discussion post on evaluating business opportunities |
| Length | About 390 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | BS Business Administration |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUS 400 Module 1
Module One Discussion
Three Ideas at the Kitchen Table
All term I will be working with one family's hydroponic greenhouse near Barre, Vermont, started in 2006. It has two acres under glass, thirty-four employees and revenue of about $3.4 million, almost all from head lettuce and leafy greens sold to three regional grocery chains. The grocers have been pressing on price, and the founders' son and daughter, who now run day-to-day operations, came to a family meeting with three ideas: grow herbs and microgreens for restaurants in Boston, supply salad greens to school districts in Vermont and New Hampshire, or build a second greenhouse across the river in New Hampshire to grow more lettuce.
Shane and Venkataraman (2000) define an entrepreneurial opportunity as a situation in which goods or services can be introduced and sold for more than their cost of production. That sounds obvious, but it is the first test: is there someone who will pay more than it costs us to serve them? Restaurants pay roughly three times as much per pound for fresh herbs and microgreens as grocers pay for lettuce. Schools pay less than grocers and buy through bids. A second greenhouse would sell more of a product whose price is already falling.
The second test is whether the business has an edge. Barney (1991) argued that an edge lasts only when it rests on assets competitors lack and cannot cheaply reproduce, and when the firm is organized to put them to work. The greenhouse grows year-round in a cold climate, holds a food safety certification grocers require and has trucks already driving toward Boston three times a week. Those resources matter far more for restaurants, which struggle to get consistent local herbs in winter, than for schools or for more lettuce.
The third test is the downside. Sarasvathy (2001) describes how experienced entrepreneurs often decide by how much they can afford to lose rather than by forecasts. A small herb room could be tested for about $60,000; a second greenhouse would cost several million dollars and could not be tested small.
On these tests, the restaurant idea looks strongest, but it is only an idea until the market is sized and a few chefs say yes.
For classmates: which of the three ideas would you test first, and what is the cheapest test that would tell you whether you are right?
References
Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99-120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
Sarasvathy, S. D. (2001). Causation and effectuation: Toward a theoretical shift from economic inevitability to entrepreneurial contingency. The Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 243-263. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2001.4378020
Shane, S., & Venkataraman, S. (2000). The promise of entrepreneurship as a field of research. Academy of Management Review, 25(1), 217-226. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2000.2791611
What the BUS 400 Module 1 instructions ask for
The opening BUS 400 discussion usually asks what makes a business opportunity attractive or how a company should decide which opportunities to pursue. A strong post uses a specific business and specific ideas rather than speaking in general, and it applies a few clear tests: is there a real market willing to pay more than it costs to serve, does the business have resources that give it an edge, and can it afford the downside if it is wrong. Research on entrepreneurship and strategy gives those tests a foundation. Replies can apply the same tests to a classmate's idea and see whether it holds up. Some prompts ask you to compare two frameworks, which works well if you apply both to the same idea.
How this BUS 400 Module 1 discussion example is built
The post introduces a hydroponic greenhouse selling lettuce to three grocery chains, and the three ideas the founders' children raised: herbs and microgreens for Boston restaurants, salad greens for school districts and a second greenhouse in New Hampshire. It uses a definition of an opportunity as a situation where something can be sold for more than it costs to produce, a resource-based test of whether the greenhouse's year-round growing and food safety record give it an edge, and the principle of affordable loss to judge how much each idea risks. It concludes that the restaurant idea fits best on paper but needs testing, and asks classmates which idea they would test first and how.
Where the BUS 400 Module 1 rubric puts the points
Grading for this discussion usually weighs a clear account of what makes an opportunity attractive, application to a specific business, use of research, sound judgment and engagement with classmates. Strong posts apply explicit tests to real options, consider the business's capabilities and limits, and recognize uncertainty. Posts that praise an idea without testing it, or that discuss opportunity in the abstract, earn less. A reply that applies the same tests to a classmate's example and reaches a different conclusion usually shows the most insight. Instructors also notice whether the post names a cheap way to test the idea before investing. Accurate use of one or two research sources counts for more than a long reading list.
BUS 400 Module 1 help: the mistakes that cost points
Opportunity posts often become sales pitches for an idea. Treat the idea as something to test: who will pay, why this business could serve them better than others, what it would cost and what happens if it fails. Use one or two research ideas to frame those tests rather than a long list. Be willing to say that an exciting idea may not suit the business. Finish by making classmates pick one option and defend it, which draws sharper replies than an open question. A short description of the business's current position, with one or two numbers, makes the tests far easier to follow.
Get BUS 400 Module 1 written to your instructions
Send the BUS 400 Module 1 prompt. The post will test real growth ideas against research on opportunities and resources and hand classmates a choice they must defend. Usually back in two days, with the first one free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
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BUS 400 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free BUS 400 Module 1 Discussion sample?
This page includes the full BUS 400 Module 1 post testing a Vermont greenhouse's three growth ideas.
What is a business opportunity?
A situation in which new goods, services or methods can be introduced and sold for more than they cost to produce, which someone can recognize and act on.
How should a business evaluate opportunities?
By testing whether a real market will pay enough, whether the business has resources that give it an advantage and whether it can afford the downside if the idea fails.
What is the resource-based view?
A theory that firms gain lasting advantage from resources that are valuable, rare, hard to imitate and well organized, so opportunities that use such resources are more promising.
What is affordable loss?
A decision principle from entrepreneurship research: instead of predicting returns, decide how much you are willing to lose and pursue opportunities within that limit.