CMNS2700 Create Your Own Business
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · T3 2026CMNS2700 Overview
- University of Newcastle
- T3 2026
- 11 chapters
- Management
CMNS2700 Create Your Own Business is a practical Level 2 University of Newcastle course about developing a media or communication venture from evidence.
- Assessed by Market Analysis (Vodcast) 30% · Proposal (Presentation) 30% · Business Plan Project (Report & Pitch Video) 40%
- Key terms Opportunity gap, Primary research, Target market, Value proposition
- Assessment move Study CMNS2700 by carrying one venture idea through every chapter rather than memorising disconnected definitions.
- Most asked What should the Market Analysis vodcast do?
How CMNS2700 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Market Analysis (Vodcast) | 30% | Individual five-minute influencer-style vodcast, due 25 September 2026 at 11:59pm |
| Proposal (Presentation) | 30% | Group twenty-minute video presentation, due 30 October 2026 at 11:59pm |
| Business Plan Project (Report & Pitch Video) | 40% | Group Business Model Canvas, 1000-word report and one-minute pitch, due 20 November 2026 at 11:59pm |
What CMNS2700 covers
Eleven chapters follow the course from opportunity discovery and customer research through venture design, risk, finance, marketing, business planning, persuasive proposals, professional branding and digital creator ventures.
Media Entrepreneurship and Opportunity
Media sectors, durable trends, customer problems, opportunity gaps and venture conceptsMedia entrepreneurship begins with a problem worth solving, not a platform or company label.
- Media and communication sectors
- Entrepreneurial thinking
- Opportunity gaps
- Trend versus fad
- Problem framing
- Venture concept tests
Market Research and Customer Insight
Primary and secondary research, qualitative and quantitative evidence, trends, segments and personasResearch choices determine what a venture can responsibly claim. This chapter distinguishes primary from secondary evidence and qualitative from quantitative methods, then shows how interviews, observation, surveys, reports and analytics can be triangulated.
- Primary and secondary research
- Qualitative and quantitative evidence
- Consumer insight iceberg
- Trend evidence
- Target-market boundaries
- Research-backed personas
Value Propositions and Business Models
Customer value, comparative propositions, revenue models, service and product logic, venture structuresA value proposition explains why a particular customer chooses an offer over an alternative, while a business model explains how the venture creates, delivers and captures that value.
- Comparative customer value
- Proposition structure
- Project and retainer models
- Subscription and platform logic
- Service versus product scale
- Venture structure tradeoffs
Legal, Ethical and Risk Decisions
Stakeholders, intellectual property, contracts, privacy, publication risk, registers and controlsMedia ventures make decisions about attention, data, identity, creative work and reputation.
- Stakeholder ethics
- Intellectual property and permission
- Contracts and obligations
- Advertising and publication risk
- Privacy and data handling
- Risk matrices and registers
Finance, Cash Flow and Funding
Revenue, costs, profit, liquidity, milestone payments, budgets and funding tradeoffsFounder finance is about decisions, timing and survival rather than abstract accounting.
- Profit and loss
- Cash movement
- Cost structures
- Pricing hidden effort
- Milestone payments
- Funding tradeoffs
Marketing and Customer Journeys
Segmentation, targeting, positioning, touchpoints, channel roles, performance and feedbackMarketing connects customer needs to the whole venture offer; advertising is only one tool. This chapter moves through segmentation, targeting and positioning, then follows customers from awareness to consideration, conversion, retention and advocacy.
- Segmentation and targeting
- Positioning
- Customer journey stages
- Owned paid and earned channels
- Touchpoint consistency
- Feedback and performance
Customer Fit and Value Proposition Canvas
Jobs, pains, gains, products, pain relievers, gain creators and fit evidenceThe Value Proposition Canvas starts with the customer's progress, not the venture's features. Jobs describe functional, social or emotional aims; pains capture obstacles, risks and costs; gains describe valued outcomes.
- Functional social and emotional jobs
- Pain severity and frequency
- Desired gains
- Products and services
- Pain relievers and gain creators
- Fit tests
Business Model Canvas and Plan Coherence
Customer blocks, infrastructure, financial logic, plan sections and assumption alignmentThe Business Model Canvas connects customer value to delivery, infrastructure and financial logic. Its nine blocks reveal dependencies among segments, proposition, channels, relationships, partners, activities, resources, costs and revenues.
- Customer-facing canvas blocks
- Key activities and resources
- Partner logic
- Costs and revenue streams
- Business plan sections
- Assumption alignment
Persuasive Proposals and Presentations
Audience needs, evidence, recommendations, benefits, risks, rhetoric and decision requestsA persuasive business proposal is a structured recommendation seeking a decision. This chapter begins with audience needs, then moves through problem or opportunity, evidence, alternatives, solution, benefits, risks and a specific request.
- Audience decision needs
- Proposal structure
- Evidence selection
- Benefits and risks
- Ethos pathos and logos
- Delivery and questions
Professional Brand and Opportunity Networks
Evidence backed reputation, professional visibility, networking, trust and opportunity creationProfessional branding is the reputation formed by capabilities, values, evidence and consistent behaviour.
- Professional reputation
- Evidence-backed claims
- Digital presence
- Networking behaviours
- Trust development
- Opportunity funnel
Creator Economy and Digital Ventures
Audience assets, trust, revenue models, platform dependence, owned relationships and scaleDigital entrepreneurship uses technology to create, deliver and capture value, while creator ventures may begin with content, audience and community before a product.
- Digital entrepreneurship
- Audience assets
- Trust and customer learning
- Creator revenue models
- Platform dependence
- Owned relationships and scale
It begins with the changing industry landscape and asks how entrepreneurs recognise content gaps, underserved audiences, inefficient processes and new formats without mistaking attention for demand. Students then move through market research, customer segmentation, value propositions, business models, legal and ethical risk, finance, marketing, customer journeys and the linked canvases used to build a coherent business plan.
The course finishes with persuasive proposals, professional branding and digital creator ventures. Its three assessments reinforce the same reasoning chain in different formats. The Market Analysis vodcast asks for a supported view of future change in a Singapore media or communication sector. The Proposal presentation turns company analysis into recommendations.
The Business Plan Project joins customer fit, the Business Model Canvas, operational logic, revenue and costs into a report and concise pitch. Across those tasks, clear organisation is necessary but not sufficient. Strong work explains what the evidence means, distinguishes fact from forecast, names the relevant uncertainty and closes with a decision or test.
This guide follows that sequence with original cases, diagrams and practice. It does not replace the current Canvas briefs, which control submission details and any updates.
Worked example · free
Repair a broken customer journey
- +2Locate the evidence at the awareness and conversion stages: people discover the cafe and travel to it, so additional reach is not the first problem.
- +2Identify the retention failure: the delivered experience contradicts the position promised to customers who want a reliable place to work.
- +2Improve Wi-Fi capacity, charging access and seating management, then track repeat visits and review themes before increasing promotion.
Key terms
- Opportunity gap
- An unmet audience need, content absence, inefficient process or emerging format that may support a venture after evidence testing.
- Primary research
- Evidence collected directly for the decision, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, observation and social listening.
- Target market
- A specific customer group whose relevant needs, behaviours and context guide the venture's offer and communication.
- Value proposition
- The comparative reason a customer chooses an offer, expressed through the customer, problem, benefit and meaningful alternative.
- Business model
- The connected logic through which a venture creates, delivers and captures value.
- Risk register
- A record of risk events, likelihood, impact, consequences, controls, ownership and review actions.
- Cash flow
- The timing and amount of money entering and leaving a venture, which can differ from reported profit.
- Positioning
- The distinctive place an offer is designed to hold in the target customer's mind relative to alternatives.
- Customer journey
- The linked experience from awareness and consideration through conversion, retention and advocacy.
- Customer jobs
- The functional, social or emotional progress a customer is trying to achieve in a particular context.
- Value Proposition Canvas
- A framework matching customer jobs, pains and gains to products, pain relievers and gain creators.
- Business Model Canvas
- A visual framework linking customer, delivery, infrastructure, cost and revenue assumptions across a venture.
- Creator economy
- An ecosystem in which individuals build audiences and communities, then monetise expertise, content or influence.
CMNS2700 FAQ
How is the course assessed?
The course grade is divided across three applied tasks: Market Analysis (Vodcast) at 30%, Proposal (Presentation) at 30%, and Business Plan Project (Report & Pitch Video) at 40%. The current Trimester 3 schedule places their deadlines in September, October and November 2026. Check the live Canvas task pages before submission for operational instructions.
What should the Market Analysis vodcast do?
It should analyse the future of a Singapore media or communication sector through changing value propositions, audiences, revenue, activities and partnerships. The task rewards clear organisation, depth, disruption and opportunity analysis, critical thinking, effective visuals and presenter-led communication. A strong conclusion states a supported prediction and the uncertainty around it.
What makes the Proposal presentation persuasive?
The presentation should connect market and company evidence to a clear recommendation. Define the audience's decision, explain the problem or opportunity, compare relevant alternatives, show benefits and risks, and close with the approval or action requested. Group members can divide delivery, but the customer, value proposition and assumptions must remain consistent across speakers.
What belongs in the Business Plan Project?
The project combines a Business Model Canvas, a 1000-word report and a one-minute pitch. It should align customer fit, value proposition, market evidence, marketing, operations, resources, partners, revenue and costs. The pitch is a compression test of that logic, not a separate story. Use the current brief for exact file and submission requirements.
How much financial calculation is involved?
The finance topic uses practical founder arithmetic rather than a mathematics curriculum. You should distinguish profit from cash movement, classify costs, recompute milestone payments and explain funding tradeoffs. Always show which amounts are revenue, expense, cash received and cash paid, because a profitable project can still create a short-term liquidity problem.
How should I use the two canvases together?
Begin with the Value Proposition Canvas to understand customer jobs, pains, gains and the offer's relief or gain mechanisms. Then use the Business Model Canvas to show channels, relationships, activities, resources, partners, cost and revenue. The written plan expands the same assumptions with evidence. If the customer or revenue story changes between layers, revise before pitching.
Is this guide affiliated with the University of Newcastle?
No. AskSia is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or produced by the University of Newcastle. The course code and name identify the subject. Current Canvas briefs remain the controlling source for submission method, group arrangements, assessment updates and any instructions issued after this guide was prepared.
Questions students ask in each CMNS2700 chapter
- How is entrepreneurship broader than starting a company?
- The course treats entrepreneurship as identifying a problem worth solving and creating value through a workable response. Freelancers, agency owners, platform founders and solo creators can all act entrepreneurially. The important evidence is the problem, customer and delivery logic, not whether the idea already has a company name. Chapter 01 · Media Entrepreneurship and Opportunity
- Which research method should I use first?
- Start from the uncertainty. If you do not understand the customer's language or motive, begin with interviews or observation. If a pattern is already defined and you need to estimate its spread, use a survey or behavioural data. Secondary sources establish category context and alternatives. Chapter 02 · Market Research and Customer Insight
- How is a value proposition different from a slogan?
- A proposition guides venture design by naming the customer, problem, benefit and meaningful alternative. A slogan is a compact communication device and may omit most of that logic. Polished wording cannot compensate for a benefit that the delivery system or evidence does not support. Chapter 03 · Value Propositions and Business Models
- How are ethical and legal analysis different?
- Ethical analysis asks how power, choice and harm should be handled even when conduct may be permitted. Legal analysis identifies rights, duties and restrictions. A strong answer can name both without treating them as synonyms, then recommend a control that addresses the actual cause. Chapter 04 · Legal, Ethical and Risk Decisions
- How can a profitable venture run out of cash?
- Revenue may be recorded before customers pay, while wages, contractors, equipment and other bills are due earlier. Profit measures revenue minus expense; cash movement measures receipts minus payments. A venture can show positive profit and negative current cash movement at the same time. Chapter 05 · Finance, Cash Flow and Funding
- Why is marketing more than advertising?
- Marketing begins with customer need and includes the offer, price, access, experience, relationships and feedback. Advertising is a promotional tool. If a campaign attracts customers to a poor product or inconsistent experience, advertising can succeed while the wider marketing system fails. Chapter 06 · Marketing and Customer Journeys
- How should I write a customer job?
- Describe the progress the customer seeks without naming your product. “Coordinate approvals across contributors” is a job; “use our dashboard” is a proposed solution. Include the context, trigger and meaning of successful completion so alternatives become visible. Chapter 07 · Customer Fit and Value Proposition Canvas
- What is the purpose of the Business Model Canvas?
- It gives the team a shared visual map of how customer value connects to channels, relationships, resources, activities, partners, costs and revenue. Its value is exposing assumptions and dependencies early, not completing nine independent boxes with general phrases. Chapter 08 · Business Model Canvas and Plan Coherence
- What question should a proposal answer first?
- Identify the decision the audience needs to make and why it matters now. That choice determines which context, evidence, alternatives, benefits and risks are relevant. Starting with a topic instead of a decision often produces an informative presentation that never makes a recommendation. Chapter 09 · Persuasive Proposals and Presentations
- Is professional branding just self-promotion?
- No. It is the communication and delivery of a clear professional contribution through work, evidence and consistent behaviour. Promotion without proof can create attention but weak credibility. A useful brand makes it easier for others to understand what you can contribute and why they can trust it. Chapter 10 · Professional Brand and Opportunity Networks
- When does an audience become a business asset?
- An audience creates business value when the venture has earned trust, understands relevant needs and can support a responsible exchange. Follower count alone is fragile. Repeated engagement, direct permission, useful feedback and evidence of willingness to support an offer make the relationship more meaningful. Chapter 11 · Creator Economy and Digital Ventures
How to prepare for the assessments
Study CMNS2700 by carrying one venture idea through every chapter rather than memorising disconnected definitions. Begin with a narrow opportunity statement and an evidence table separating sourced fact, interpretation, assumption and forecast. Use market research to revise the customer profile, then rebuild the value proposition before choosing a business model.
Add legal, ethical and financial constraints early because they change what can be promised and delivered. When you reach marketing, map each channel to a customer-journey role and choose a metric that matches that stage. Complete the Value Proposition Canvas before the Business Model Canvas, then read across the written plan to check that the same customer, problem, delivery system and revenue logic survive.
Practise explaining the model aloud with one diagram, one serious risk and one refutation condition. Before each submission, recompute every number, verify every external claim, remove unsupported adjectives and finish with the precise decision or next test the audience should accept.
Your AI Management tutor for CMNS2700
Stuck on a hard CMNS2700 question? Sia is AskSia’s AI Management tutor — ask any CMNS2700 Create Your Own Business question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how the course is actually taught and assessed. Read this whole study guide free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.
