WRIT 250 - Writing in Business Contexts

Scenario A:

Topic: Carbon reduction

Many Canadian companies do not have a long-term business plan that sufficiently addresses climate change and a carbon-reduced economy. In some cases, businesses have invested in new green technologies, but their current business model still relies on traditional technologies that extract and burn as much fossil fuel as possible.

As a consultant, you must explore ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the company of your choice, but still remain profitable. Conduct research on possible business strategies to increase the company's long-term sustainability as the world economy moves away from carbon. Highlight strategies to enhance sustainability such as operations, manufacturing, resources, production and supply, using alternative resources, or strengthening infrastructure, to name a few.

Scenario B:

Topic: Virtual Office Space Versus Traditional Office Space
Numerical Data:

There is a new approach to office space arising called a “virtual office”. Implementing a virtual office space can take advantage of cutting-edge technology while reducing operating costs.

Imagine that the president of your company is looking for the most cost-effective office space in which to launch a new online product (please select a product based on the company’s portfolio). The President must decide whether or not to expand their headquarters in the centre of a large metropolitan area or explore other options. There are several virtual office spaces in Toronto. Such a virtual office is appealing because it uses technology and a physical address to support a business’s operations. However, traditional, brick-and-mortar offices are still the norm.

For this assignment, write a recommendation report exploring the following: Costs/benefits of setting up a virtual office versus a physical office in downtown Toronto, Canada.

Scenario C:

Topic: Digital and Physical realities / adaptations / policies / in the Covid era
Numerical Data:

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about social distancing and stay-at-home orders, and brick-and-mortar businesses have suffered from decreased traffic. As of this spring in Ontario, only businesses with street access have been able to open, and while restrictions continue to be lifted, the business landscape will be forever changed.

With pandemic restrictions in place, more cashless transactions are being made. According to the CBC, "E-commerce sales more than doubled over the year, with a 110.8 percent increase compared with May 2019". Businesses that have both physical stores and online sales have fared well, but increasingly, traditional businesses with physical stores must redefine their business models to accommodate a "blended storefront" – that is, a virtual and a brick-and-mortar store. Business owners are now asking, how can the digital and physical storefront work more efficiently together?

As a hired consultant for the company of your choice, you have been asked to write a recommendation report that outlines the implementation and integration of options post Covid-19.

Write the Long Report

Your long report must have several components:

· It must have a clear purpose and scope.

· One primary goal of this long report is to promote the company’s long-term profitability.

· You must then research enough information to develop a reasonable recommendation.

· Provide some background to the purpose and contextualize the problem.

· You may include a needs assessment into your introduction of the problem.

· Focus on describing, listing, and analyzing the extensive costs/benefits of adopting a new business strategy.

· In the discussion section, consider immediate/long term costs and benefits, as well as hidden/visible costs and benefits.

Since this is a report with recommendations, you are considering advantages and disadvantages, pros/cons, costs and benefits. In your discussion section, you must have a clear recommendation that persuades the reader to follow a new business plan. This recommendation will tell the President what would be the best course of action based on the research found in this long report.

In this long report, include the following components in this sequence:

1. A table of contents

2. An executive summary

3. Introduction

4. Discussion section highlighting specific costs and benefits of proposed business plan.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

6. References page (refer to Purdue OWL)

7. Appendices