Overview of the Business Development (Finance & Sales) Internship
In this Business Development (Finance & Sales) internship program, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the key skills and tools necessary to excel in the field of business development. The tasks will cover topics such as sales strategies, financial forecasting, revenue analysis, and client relationship management. The tasks are structured to be practical and beginner-friendly, allowing you to apply the concepts directly to real-world business problems using tools like Excel, Power BI, and CRM systems.
Notice: Complete a minimum of 2 tasks from the tasks listed below.
Task 1: Sales Pipeline Management in Excel
Problem Statement:
Learn how to create and manage a basic sales pipeline using Excel to track leads, prospects, and clients.
Steps to Complete:
- Use Excel to create a sales pipeline template with columns for Lead Name, Contact Information, Deal Stage, Estimated Value, and Closing Date.
- Input sample data to simulate a pipeline for a small business.
- Update the pipeline as leads progress through different sales stages (e.g., Lead, Prospect, Qualified, Closed).
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Excel, Download Excel
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video or screen recording of your pipeline management (10-15 seconds).
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 2: Financial Forecasting with Excel
Problem Statement:
Forecast sales revenue for the upcoming quarter using historical sales data in Excel.
Steps to Complete:
- Import historical sales data into Excel (e.g., past three quarters of sales).
- Apply forecasting techniques, such as moving averages or linear regression, to predict the upcoming quarter’s sales.
- Visualize your forecasted sales using line graphs.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Excel
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your forecast.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 3: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) with HubSpot
Problem Statement:
Learn to use HubSpot’s free CRM system to manage client interactions and sales activities.
Steps to Complete:
- Create a free account on HubSpot.
- Add sample contacts, deals, and tasks to the CRM.
- Track the interactions with each client (e.g., email communications, follow-up calls).
- Generate a report on deal stages.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- HubSpot CRM, Sign up here
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video or screen recording of your CRM setup.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 4: Building a Sales Dashboard in Power BI
Problem Statement:
Create a sales performance dashboard in Power BI to track KPIs like total sales, number of deals closed, and top-performing sales representatives.
Steps to Complete:
- Import sales data (e.g., monthly sales, sales representative data) into Power BI.
- Create visualizations such as bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs.
- Use these visualizations to track sales performance KPIs.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Power BI, Download Power BI
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your dashboard.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 5: Pricing Strategy Analysis Using Excel
Problem Statement:
Analyze the pricing strategy for a product or service using Excel and determine the optimal price point.
Steps to Complete:
- Input different price points and their corresponding sales volumes into Excel.
- Use Excel functions to calculate revenue and profit for each price point.
- Create a chart to visualize the relationship between price, revenue, and profit.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Excel
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your analysis.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 6: Competitor Analysis Report
Problem Statement:
Conduct a basic competitor analysis and generate a report on a company’s competitors in terms of pricing, market share, and sales strategy.
Steps to Complete:
- Research the key competitors in a given industry (e.g., retail, technology).
- Compare pricing, product features, market share, and sales strategy.
- Create a simple competitor analysis report in Excel or PowerPoint.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Excel or PowerPoint
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your report.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 7: Lead Generation Strategy in Google Sheets
Problem Statement:
Develop a simple lead generation strategy and track potential leads using Google Sheets.
Steps to Complete:
- Create a lead generation sheet in Google Sheets with columns for Lead Name, Contact Information, Source, and Status.
- Input sample data to simulate a lead generation strategy (e.g., online inquiries, social media, cold calling).
- Update the status of each lead as they move through the sales funnel.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Google Sheets, Access Google Sheets
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your lead generation strategy.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 8: Financial Ratio Analysis in Excel
Problem Statement:
Perform a financial ratio analysis for a company using Excel and interpret the results.
Steps to Complete:
- Use financial data (e.g., income statement, balance sheet) to calculate key financial ratios (e.g., profit margin, return on equity, current ratio).
- Use Excel formulas to compute these ratios.
- Interpret the results and what they indicate about the company’s financial health.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Excel
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your analysis.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 9: Client Meeting Agenda and Minutes
Problem Statement:
Prepare an agenda for a client meeting and document the meeting minutes afterward.
Steps to Complete:
- Create a simple meeting agenda template in Google Docs or Word, covering topics like sales performance, client concerns, and next steps.
- After conducting a mock or real client meeting, document the meeting minutes.
- Highlight key discussion points, decisions made, and action items.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Google Docs or Microsoft Word
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your agenda and minutes.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 10: Sales Pitch Presentation
Problem Statement:
Create a sales pitch presentation for a new product or service, highlighting its key benefits and unique selling points (USPs).
Steps to Complete:
- Use PowerPoint or Google Slides to create a sales pitch presentation.
- Include slides on the product/service overview, key benefits, target audience, and why it’s better than competitors.
- Practice delivering the pitch.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- PowerPoint or Google Slides
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your presentation.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 11: Budgeting for a Marketing Campaign
Problem Statement:
Create a budget for a small-scale marketing campaign using Excel or Google Sheets.
Steps to Complete:
- Input cost estimates for different campaign elements (e.g., online ads, content creation, social media marketing).
- Use formulas to calculate total costs and ROI (return on investment).
- Present your findings in a simple, easy-to-understand budget sheet.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Excel or Google Sheets
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your budget sheet.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Task 12: SWOT Analysis for a Business
Problem Statement:
Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis for a business in a specific industry (e.g., tech, retail).
Steps to Complete:
- Research a specific business or use a hypothetical company.
- Analyze the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Create a simple SWOT analysis matrix in Word, Google Docs, or Excel.
Tools/Datasets/Platforms:
- Word, Google Docs, or Excel
You can use any tool/data.
How to Submit:
- Record a video/screen recording of your SWOT analysis.
- Upload the video to LinkedIn or YouTube.
- Tag the following in your post:
- Submit the link in the submission form.
Conclusion:
This set of tasks will equip you with essential skills for business development, sales, and finance. Engage in these practical exercises to enhance your expertise and gain hands-on experience!