Business Development Research Reflective Report (MBA Program)

This research reflective report details the process of developing a business plan for a herbal salon in Birmingham, UK, as part of an MBA program. The report explores the chosen qualitative research method, inductive analysis, and the use of primary and secondary literature sources. It highlights the knowledge gained about the herbal salon market, customer preferences for natural products, and the potential for business success in a less competitive market. The report also reflects on the learning experience, including the development of skills like time management and communication, and identifies barriers encountered during the research, such as sampling errors and time constraints. The main findings emphasize the growing demand for herbal skincare treatments and the potential for a herbal salon to meet this need. The report concludes with a discussion of professional development, research objectives, and recommendations for the herbal salon's success. The research aimed to understand the herbal salon market, acquire a specific market share, and identify effective marketing strategies and potential business model issues.

Research Reflective
Report

Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY.............................................................................................................................................3
Research methods and Processes.............................................................................................................3
Literature and Sources.............................................................................................................................3
Learning..................................................................................................................................................4
Critical Thinking and Ideas.....................................................................................................................5
Barriers met.............................................................................................................................................5
Professional Development.......................................................................................................................6
Objectives................................................................................................................................................6
Findings and Outcomes.............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Reflection in academic writing is designed in order to help the individual to express their
thoughts about a particular experience. The respective report is a reflection based on conducting
a research as well as learnings during the MBA program. There is also a description of the
different barriers as well as professional development.
MAIN BODY
Research methods and Processes
The research that was undertaken, was based on the topic “To prepare a business
development plan for opening a herbal salon in Birmingham, UK.” The rationale behind
choosing this topic was to increase awareness among people regarding their well-being. This is
because the demand for grooming services among people is increasing because they are
becoming more and more conscious about their skin (Cahusac de Caux and et.al., 2017). Due to
this, there has been an increase in demand for various salon services. Furthermore, the customers
are also increasingly gaining interest in herbal products that are gentle on the skin and do not
cause any side effects. The research method chosen in order to complete this research is
qualitative research. This will help the researcher in obtaining improved results for the selected
research topic. Not only this, a qualitative research will also contribute to the overall
development of the Major Project. In order to describe this to a future employer or a reader of the
major project, I would brief them about the topic of the research as well as the rationale behind
undertaking the research. Also, inductive analysis has been used to analyze the data. This will
help them in developing an understanding about the research as well as the results of the same in
an efficient manner.
Literature and Sources
The most important sources of literature that are referred to in case of this project are
both primary as well as secondary in order to collect data. There are different primary as well as
secondary methods that can be used by a researcher for the collection of data. For example,
primary data can be collected through interviews, questionnaire, by visiting a specific location or
focus groups. On the other hand, different methods from which secondary information can be
gathered include journals, books and online websites (Chenboonthai and Watanabe, 2019). The

different literature sources that I have used to justify my research and Major Project are
significant as well as fundamental to my work because they have allowed me to obtain
appropriate and relevant data for the research. As a result, I was able to analyze the data in an
effective manner and obtain reliable results. It is a known fact that literature review is one of the
most important components of a research. The reason behind this is that it helps in justifying the
research objectives as well as the research topic. I have ensured that all the information that is
included in the research is not only informative, but also reliable. Thus, the results provide in-
depth information to the readers as well as the future employer.
Knowledge
Undertaking the research has served to be a very important learning source for me as an
individual. This is because I have gained a lot of knowledge about the herbal salon market in
Birmingham. Also, I got a chance to develop my understanding about the different marketing
tools that can be used in order to fulfil a particular business idea (Choi and Bae, 2017). I got a
chance to explore to needs as well as preferences of the customers when it comes to taking care
of their skin. I have learned that herbal salon market is increasingly growing in Birmingham,
United Kingdom because the customers are now looking for products that are environment
friendly as well as made from natural products that would not have any kind of side effects on
the skin. A lot of entrepreneurs are entering the salon market in the company and offer a variety
of herbal products. Therefore, I have learned that the main idea to set up a herbal salon in
Birmingham is that currently, there is no intense competition. And by setting up the salon, the
owners will be able to attract a greater number of customers and satisfy their needs, not only this,
I have understood that when a business is able to fulfil the needs of the customers, there is an
increase in its overall profitability. the knowledge that I have gained from undertaking the Major
project are important for me because they will help me in building a successful career as well as
attain the goals and objectives.
Learning
Conducting a research can be a very enriching as well as learning experience for a person
and this is because it helps them in gaining various insights (Cottrell, 2017). By undertaking the
MBA program, I got a chance to work on and get involved in various assignments as well as
projects. I have developed many skills such as effective time management skills, organizing as

well as communication skills. This is because we were expected to complete different
assignments as a team. As far as this research is concerned, I have learned many new things such
as the importance of data collection as well as the different literature sources that can be referred
to while collecting data for the research include primary as well as secondary sources. I have also
learned that besides literature review, research methodology as well as data analysis sections also
contribute to the overall effectiveness of the research (Dirgeyasa, 2017). It is important for the
researcher to opt the right method based on the requirement of the research. All of the knowledge
that I have gained from undertaking this research will be helpful for my career development. I
will be able to execute all the skills as well as knowledge that I have developed by undertaking
this research. One of the most important things that I learned from undertaking the research is to
analyze and interpret the collected data.
Critical Thinking and Ideas
The most important discovery in carrying out this research is that the number of people
looking for herbal products for their skin as well as overall wellbeing is constantly increasing.
This is because they want to use natural products for their skin so that there are no side effects. It
was also found that a significant percentage of people highly preferred herbal salon experience as
compared to any other. There are different types of herbal treatments that are offered in a salon
such as haircare, manicure and pedicure, skincare and hair treatment. By undertaking this
research, I found that skincare was the most preferred herbal treatment that the people are
looking for. This provided various important insights and I was able to make valid conclusions
based on the same. The theories as well as conclusions that were obtained from the research are
important for the company because there are not many studies conducted on this research topic
and thus, the results that are obtained are very reliable as well as informative at the same time.
Another reason why the conclusions are important because they will provide the readers with an
understanding about the growing herbal salon market in Birmingham, United Kingdom
(Donchenko, 2020). Lastly, it has been discovered that being successful is one of the most
important things for business owners and setting up a herbal salon will help in reaching out to a
greater number of customers.

Barriers met
A researcher can come across various barriers while conducting a research which can
affect the overall quality as well as results of the same. In context to this research, there were
certain limitations that acted as barriers for completing the research in an effective manner. one
of the major barriers for the research was that there was an error in sampling method. This was
because a sample does not reflect a population completely and thus, this can cause variation in
the overall outcomes. But the sampling error resulted into s bias in the sample. Another difficulty
that I encountered was that the research articles that were considered for collecting information
for the research, were published in the year 2017. Due to this, some of the information
mentioned in the research was not relevant to the respective research (Fourie, 2018). As a result,
there were certain gaps in the literature review section. Time constraint was another barrier that I
encountered while undertaking the research. Due to this, I was not able to complete the research
before the deadline provided. Lastly, the responses obtained from some of the respondents were
not accurate and the reason identified for the same is that they belonged to different cultural
backgrounds. Funds available for completing the research were also limited due to which only
limited sources could be referred in collecting data.
Professional Development
From undertaking the research and Major project, I acquired some very important
business as well as management skills. One of the main skills that I have learned is effective
communication skills, both verbal as well as written. Apart from this, I have also gained
interpersonal skills and I am now comfortable in interacting with different people. Undertaking a
research or any project contributes to the development of confidence within an individual to a
great extent. I am now able to collect data from different sources and then analyze the same in
order to achieve the goals as well as objectives of the research. Aim and objectives are a very
important component for a research as the complete research is based n the same (Reymen and
et.al., 2017). The skills that I have learned from undertaking the research have significantly
contributed to my overall professional development. These skills and knowledge are important
because employers look for candidates who are up to date about the latest trends of the industry
and have strong presentation skills. Therefore, I have now gained a lot of confidence and also, I
am comfortable in working as part of a team.

Objectives
Research objectives describe what a study is aiming to attempt and it is important for the
researcher to keep in min mind that all objectives that are developed, must be short and accurate.
They should reflect the main aim of the study. The main objectives of this research were to
understand the herbal salon market in Birmingham. The owner of the salon was looking at
acquiring 20% of the market share within the first two years of establishing the business. Next,
the study aimed to determine the various marketing tools that could be used in establishing the
business idea. Lastly, identifying the issues of the business model was also one of the major
objectives of the research (Tolinggi and et.al., 2018). I believe that the objectives of the research
were achieved to a great extent. But due to some barriers or difficulties, the overall effectiveness
that was in mind for the study, could not be achieved. The objectives have contributed to the
overall effectiveness of the research and all the objectives that I developed were to the point and
based on the research topic.
Findings and Outcomes
I believe that the findings of the research are feasible as well as accurate to a great extent.
This is because I was able to enhance my overall understanding of the research topic and it was
found that skincare was one of the main herbal treatments that the customers are looking for in
the market. people are increasingly becoming conscious about their skin and thus, they want
products that do not have any side effects. Besides this, I believe that the recommendations that
were made in the research are also feasible because they are easy to implement and will allow
the owners of herbal salons to make the most out of their business and attain the business goals
as well as objectives in an effective manner (Tsingos-Lucas and et.al., 2017). for example, one of
the recommendations was that the owners of herbal beauty salons should keep researching about
the latest trends in the market. this will help them in remaining relevant in the market. Also, by
hiring a trained and professional staff, the salon will be able to provide enhanced services to the
customers. This will in turn lead to the business gaining the loyalty and trust of its customers.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
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Writing groups, academic writing proficiency and reflective practice. Reflective Practice.
18(4). pp.463-473.
Chenboonthai, H. and Watanabe, T., 2019. Cooperation intensity for effective policy
development and implementation: A case study of Thailand’s alternative energy
development plan. Energies. 12(13). p.2469.
Choi, S. W. and Bae, H. K., 2017. Issues and development plan for Korea Water Cluster.
Environmental Engineering Research. 22(1). pp.125-130.
Cottrell, S., 2017. Critical thinking skills: Effective analysis, argument and reflection. Macmillan
International Higher Education
Dirgeyasa, I. W., 2017. College Academic Writing A Genre-Based Perspective. Prenada Media.
Donchenko, K., 2020. Business consulting in Russia: business development plan for company X.
Fourie, W., 2018. Aligning South Africa's National Development Plan with the 2030 Agenda's
Sustainable Development Goals: Guidelines from the policy coherence for development
movement. Sustainable Development. 26(6). pp.765-771.
Reymen, I. and et.al., 2017. Decision making for business model development: a process study
of effectuation and causation in new technology‐based ventures. R&D Management.
47(4). pp.595-606.
Tolinggi, W. K. and et.al., 2018. Potency Analysis for Agro Science Techno Park Area
Development Plan in Gorontalo Province. International Journal of Agriculture System.
6(1). pp.13-24.
Tsingos-Lucas, C. and et.al., 2017. Using reflective writing as a predictor of academic success in
different assessment formats. American journal of pharmaceutical education. 81(1).