| Course | BUSI 336 Introduction to Entrepreneurship (BUSI336) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 7 |
| Assignment | Discussion Board 6 Thread |
| Paper type | Discussion thread |
| Length | about 439 words (thread and replies). Course guide: a thread of at least 400 words that fully answers the forum question, followed by replies of at least 150 words to two classmates, in current APA format |
| Format | APA 7 citations and reference list |
| Points | 60 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | BS in Business Administration |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 7 in Liberty's published BUSI 336 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUSI 336 Week 7
Discussion Board 6 Thread: Entrepreneurial Growth Strategies
BUSI 336 Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Discussion Board 6 Thread
Thread by [Student Name]
The forum prompt and SteadyHome are composites, because the guide gives only the module/week's topic; the research and Bible passage cited are real.
Growth is a test of whether a new venture can keep what made it succeed. Ireland et al. (2003) describe strategic entrepreneurship as the combination of opportunity-seeking behavior, which finds new ways to create value, and advantage-seeking behavior, which builds and protects the resources behind a firm's current success. A young firm that only seeks opportunities can spread itself too thin; one that only protects its advantage can stop growing.
Our group's venture, SteadyHome Safety Services, illustrates the choice. Its advantage is a clinically informed home safety assessment, built on the founder's rehabilitation experience and trusted by local therapists. Three growth paths are available once the business is profitable.
The first is internal growth through new services, such as installing medical alert systems or offering assessments for people returning home from surgery. This path keeps full control and builds on existing referral relationships, but it grows only as fast as the founder can hire and train assessors.
The second is franchising. Combs et al. (2011) reviewed franchising research and found that firms franchise to grow quickly with limited capital and to gain owner-operators motivated by their own profits, while accepting less control over quality and sharing returns. For SteadyHome, the danger is that a franchisee could treat assessments as sales visits, damaging the trust that is the firm's real advantage. A franchise can copy a process far more easily than it can copy a reputation for honesty.
The third is a strategic alliance, for example a formal agreement with a regional home health agency whose nurses refer patients to SteadyHome in exchange for a written assessment report that supports the agency's care plans. An alliance extends reach without giving away control of the assessment itself.
The best path for SteadyHome is the alliance first, then internal growth, and franchising only after the assessment process is documented well enough to protect quality. That order follows the strategic entrepreneurship model: the alliance seeks a new opportunity while protecting the advantage that makes the opportunity worth seeking.
Faith also shapes the choice. Jesus teaches that one who is faithful in little is faithful in much (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Luke 16:10). Growing slowly enough to remain faithful to customers in one region seems wiser than expanding faster than the firm's integrity can travel.
None of these paths is permanent. If the alliance produces more referrals than one assessor can handle, internal growth becomes urgent, and the documented process built for the alliance becomes the foundation for any later franchise.
Which growth path would your group's venture choose, and what part of its advantage would be hardest to protect as it grows?
References
Combs, J. G., Ketchen, D. J., Jr., Shook, C. L., & Short, J. C. (2011). Antecedents and consequences of franchising: Past accomplishments and future challenges. Journal of Management, 37(1), 99-126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206310386963
English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)
Ireland, R. D., Hitt, M. A., & Sirmon, D. G. (2003). A model of strategic entrepreneurship: The construct and its dimensions. Journal of Management, 29(6), 963-989. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-2063(03)00086-2
What the BUSI 336 Week 7 instructions ask
In Module/Week 7 of BUSI 336, the readings turn to entrepreneurial business strategies, and Discussion Board 6, worth 60 points, is the only graded work. The guide's forum rules apply: a full answer of 400 or more words posted by Thursday, then two replies of 150 words or longer by Monday that deepen the discussion instead of praising it, all in APA style. Because the group project is nearly complete, the forum invites students to think past launch to how their venture might grow. The 60 points cover the thread and the two replies together, so both deadlines carry weight.
How this BUSI 336 Week 7 example is built
Written in the first person plural where it speaks for the group, the thread answers the growth question with the group's own venture rather than in general terms. It defines strategic entrepreneurship and uses that model to frame the choice between finding new opportunities and protecting a current advantage. It then compares internal growth, franchising and alliances, using franchising research to explain the trade-offs between speed and control. A recommendation for SteadyHome follows, with a brief faith connection, and the thread ends with a question for classmates. It runs a little over 400 words. Because the guide gives only the topic, the prompt here is a composite of a common question for this module/week.
BUSI 336 Week 7 grading rubric: where the points go
Forum posts are graded on whether they fully answer the question, reach at least 400 words, show knowledge of the module/week's readings and research, and use APA format, with replies judged on whether they add significant depth. Instructors reward threads that apply strategy concepts to a specific venture and make a reasoned choice among options. Threads that list growth strategies without choosing, or replies that only congratulate a classmate, lose points. Meeting the Thursday and Monday deadlines also matters, since late threads leave classmates nothing to answer. Citing a peer-reviewed source, not only the readings, strengthens a strategy argument considerably, and a direct question at the end invites the replies the forum needs.
BUSI 336 Week 7 help: mistakes that cost points
Use your group's venture as the example, since you know its strengths and limits. Define the strategy concepts briefly, then compare two or three realistic options. Support the comparison with at least one peer-reviewed article. Pick one path and say which future event would make the group switch to another. Post by Thursday, and reply to two classmates by Monday with at least 150 words each that add evidence or a counterpoint. A good reply might test a classmate's chosen strategy against a risk the thread did not mention, such as losing control of quality. The library's business databases hold peer-reviewed research on franchising, alliances and strategic entrepreneurship that can support the comparison.
Related BUSI 336 sample papers
Other BUSI 336 weeks
- BUSI 336 Week 1: Entrepreneur Self Analysis
- BUSI 336 Week 2: Business Idea Definition
- BUSI 336 Week 3: Industry Feasibility Analysis
- BUSI 336 Week 4: Product Feasibility Analysis
- BUSI 336 Week 5: Go-to-Market Strategy
- BUSI 336 Week 6: Financial Feasibility Analysis
- BUSI 336 Week 8: Final Business Presentation
More BS in Business Administration sample papers
- BUSI 332 Week 7: Forum 4 Thread and Replies
- BUSI 335 Week 7: Forum 4 Thread
- BUSI 338 Week 7: Forum 4 Thread and Replies
- BUSI 342 Week 7: Group Research Paper
BUSI 336 Week 7 questions, answered
What is the BUSI 336 Discussion Board 6 Thread?
The forum thread due by Thursday of Module/Week 7 in BUSI 336, at least 400 words on entrepreneurial business strategies, with two 150-word replies by Monday for 60 points.
Where can I find a free BUSI 336 Week 7 sample paper?
The BUSI 336 Week 7 sample here weighs an alliance against franchising and new services for a growing home safety firm. It cites franchising research.
What is strategic entrepreneurship?
A model in which firms combine opportunity-seeking behavior with advantage-seeking behavior, looking for new opportunities while building the resources that protect their current position.
Why do entrepreneurs franchise?
Research finds that franchising lets a firm grow faster with less capital and with motivated local owners, at the cost of less control over quality and a share of the profits.
What else is due in BUSI 336 Module/Week 7?
Only Discussion Board 6 is graded this module/week, which gives groups time to revise the draft deck; the Final Business Presentation and Quiz 3 follow in Module/Week 8.
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