Capstone Project Proposal
Name of student: Min – Siew Chua Date: December 16, 2021
Teacher: Ms. Lacroix Block: A
The Capstone strand I have chosen is: Entrepreneurial Strand
Proposed title for my Project Proposal: (write the proposed title for your Capstone
Project in one clear sentence): Buying and repairing malfunctioning audio
equipment with the intention of reselling it as a profitable enterprise.
What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a
question that connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you.
This is a question that you cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from
your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:
How can I create my own re-selling business by using and fixing up faulty audio
equipment?
Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY
you are choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this are of
inquiry connect to your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?
Running and starting a business, as well as being your own boss. Being in charge of
budgeting, buying, and solving business problems is a vital skillset to bring for my
future, all these mentions above, I adore and want to do in the future. This capstone
will reflect my perspective: Being in charge and not working for others. This project
will serve as a stepping stone for my future careers and studies. While it is more
pleasant to build a business around a hobby and field, I already have knowledge in,
and enjoy doing. Finally, I hope that this project will teach me valuable lessons for my
future self, such as how to fix electrical items and become more self-sufficient.
Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in
this area of inquiry?
I have past interest of repairing electronic goods, especially audio equipment’s, and in
general whenever I break them like console controllers. Furthermore, I have multiple
friends who resells high-end shoes, designer clothing’s/ items and champagne that
they have purchased for retail; They told me how they did it and how they became
successful at reselling. I've also took and studied metal work and electrical classes at
school, and as a result, I've developed my welding and electrical abilities. In the past,
I've also explored in audio equipment for fun. This has given me the ability to
determine which audio equipment is worth keeping and which can be repaired.
Career connections: What is your intended career area at this point in time? What
connections does this inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?
I would like to work in the business field. My project and inquiry topic are both about
running a business and launching a new start-up. For example, you'll need to keep
track of your spending, which would involve accounting, and how will you promote it,
marketing, relating back to the focus of business which is relevant to my career aim.
Improving my problem-solving abilities could help me achieve my academic goals.
More electrical repair experience might be beneficial in a class like engineering, which
would be studying in a future class, and I would love to work in the engineering
industry.
Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will be connected with your project? Outline and explain the connections.
Accounting: You will need to keep track on your budget and spending, leading to the
business making profits or not. Finding and implementing solutions for financial
difficulty, making sure that the business is successful financially.
Marketing: To promote the business to the right audience like age group, so that they
would know where to find it, and to make people aware and interested to buy it.
Electronics and metal work: Learning the concepts of it and applying it in real life
application, in this case, the equipment’s for wielding, soldering and rewiring.
Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use
to present your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project
once completed. You may use a combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT
o Physical portfolio
o Website
o imovie presentation
o YouTube channel
Website — to illustrate what the business is all about, to explain why and how I fixed
the equipment, and to direct customers to where they may buy them.
Electronic Portfolio — Displays overview of the project, including the company's
progress, what and how I did tasks, and the lessons I learned, among others.
Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project:
what will you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be
produced at the end of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description
outlining your proposal.
For this project, I will investigate ways to start a successful entrepreneur and
business project that aligns with my goals and interests. The main purpose of this
project is to establish a creative and unique re-selling business that involves repairing
and improving damaged audio equipment before reselling it at a higher price. To
make the most money, I will have to research the market for this, such as demand
and if the market for vintage audio equipment is still growing. And who it appeals to,
typically adults, having the answer to a vital question, I will now think logically and find
a creative solution to solve them; in this case, social media would not be a viable
option, so I will approach it with a more traditional option such as advertisements. To
build a successful and striving business, I would research other comparable
businesses and learn from them such as reselling and drop-shipping businesses and
apply what made them so successful and apply to mine.
I will be studying skills that will be connected to repairing the equipment – this
will allow me to lower my operation cost, and so I will be studying electrical skills like
contact issues, bulbs and circuit flow so that I can repair a range of stereo equipment
and broaden my skillset so that audiophiles may enjoy it. Part of this project entails
studying non-traditional electrical skills that generally affect audio equipment such as
identifying contact issues in the equipment, as well as locating and cleaning ports and
switches. Furthermore, I will be studying welding skills in terms of soldering and de-
soldering. Lastly, I will be studying successful business practices, and applying them
to mine.
After that, I will have to figure out how to get them for the greatest price and
from reputable sellers, whether it's through online, auction, or meetups, and I will have
to learn how to negotiate and auctioning skills. Then begin the process of fixing them
up. Some would be simple, requiring only basic part swaps and modifications, while
others would necessitate the expertise of a trained professional. Then I would figure
out the market and the pricing, which should be easy considering the demand and
competitors out. Comparing and being competitive with the pricing, I will sell them on
through my accounts, in the likes of eBay, craigslist, and audio websites. In the end, a
successful business should be established; the adjective being: audio equipment
being bought and fixed and ultimately to be sold. A website will be created to be
evaluated upon. The website will showcase the process and steps of the progress of
buying this equipment, repairing them (footage and photos), finished product, and
inventory. A basic profit balance sheet will be created to highlight the success of the
business.
Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and
skills you will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to
access/learn all of the resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail
your plans.
I am capable of making a website, but I may need to enhance my design skills in
order to appeal to a specific audience; nevertheless, if I run into difficulties, I should
be able to learn how to do so through the internet and my CLC class. I need to
improve my electrical repair skills because they are basic. Because I have some
resources and know someone who is knowledgeable in this field, I should be able to
get help to do so.
Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections
will you need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help
you? What is your plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for
this project?
Someone who runs an online business, is an entrepreneur, or works in some manner
in the electrical industry. They would contribute to the project by giving their
knowledge, recommendations, and ideas. A member part of the business field in
terms of financing. Finding a community mentor will be difficult for the time being.
Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you
foresee that might affect progress with your Capstone Project?
Having the time to complete this project, for example, purchasing equipment
especially from auctions and parts can be time consuming, and when shipping time is
included in it takes a while, so I would only be able to repair a few and sell a few.
Some repairs are simply beyond my abilities, so would have to call in a specialist that
sole purposes are in audio equipment to get them done, which would cost a lot of
money and time.
Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations
about your project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.
Funding would come from my work and the business itself
Repairs takes a long time, and to learn each of the skills.
References
Cardon, M. S., Wincent, J., Singh, J., & Drnovsek, M. (2009). The Nature and Experience of
Entrepreneurial Passion. The Academy of Management Review, 34(3), 511–532.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/27760017
Hogarth, R. M., & Karelaia, N. (2012). Entrepreneurial Success and Failure: Confidence and
Fallible Judgment. Organization Science, 23(6), 1733–1747.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/23362024
Khosla, A., & Gupta, P. (2017). Traits of successful entrepreneurs. The Journal of Private
Equity, 20(3), 12–15. https://doi.org/10.3905/jpe.2017.20.3.012
Raz, O., & Gloor, P. A. (2007). Size Really Matters: New Insights for Start-Ups’ Survival.
Management Science, 53(2), 169–177. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20110688
Teal, E. J., & Hofer, C. W. (2001). Key Attributes of the Founding Entrepreneurial Team of
Rapidly Growing New Ventures. The Journal of Private Equity, 4(2), 19–31.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/43503257
Schick, H., Marxen, S., & Freimann, J. (2002). Sustainability Issues for Start-up
Entrepreneurs. Greener Management International, 38, 59–70.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/greemanainte.38.59
Core Competency Reflection
Personal Awareness & Responsibility:
Strengths:
1. I am personally responsible, self-motivated, and can advocate for myself.
During the quarter system last year, I was expected to learn a large number of topics in
a short period of time. I had to work, volunteer, and focus on my schoolwork at the
same time, therefore I needed to be self-motivated to approach tasks with a positive
mindset and get tasks done, and to manage my time and work well. When I was behind
on work during this time, I would tell my teacher to figure out a due date and extension.
And when I was scheduled to work on busy days, I would inform my managers that I
had a significant amount of work to complete and needed the shift to be replace. This is
how I demonstrated self-advocacy.
2. I can set goals, regulate my emotion, and persevere in difficult situations.
When I first started volunteering with the Stanley Park Ecology Society, I set a goal for
myself to improve as a person and learn more about nature. Because I had to go a
considerable distance and early in the morning to get there. I was frequently triedt and
was not in the mood for it. When I was helping or educating the public, I always made
sure that I was happy and that they had a positive experience. There were moments
when I had a lot of work to accomplish and had to keep going.
Weakness:
1. I understand learning takes patience and time.
For Pre – Calculus, I was taught the Trigonometry Laws. I'm an impatient person, so
when I didn't comprehend anything and it didn't come to me straight away, I was
irritated. As a result, rather than learning, I would memorize everything. I do this in most
subjects because my conception is that you should be able to learn a topic in one day,
which is not the case. Moving ahead, I recognize that some things take longer to
understand and learn, and that the only way to progress is to practice.
Social Responsibility:
Strengths:
1. I am aware of my community and environment and work independently and
collaborative for the benefits of others.
Last summer, I was brought aware of environmental issue in the world and here in B.C
by friends. Issues include invasive plant species and ecosystem changes in Stanley
Park. So, we decided to work together at Stanley Park Ecology Society to raise public
awareness by educating them about these issues. We discussed the habitat of these
magnificent animals and how we should care for them, as well as invasive species
removal, so that everyone may enjoy the park. I've learnt a lot, and I believe that, even if
it's a small change, it's helping to make the world a better place.
2. I have positive peer and intergenerational relationships
At my work, my co-workers are largely the same ages as me. We will frequently
converse, joke around, and send messages to each other to replace each other's shift;
this has allowed us to develop a sense of trust and respect for one another. I also have
teammates who are substantially older than me at my volunteering. They would seek
my assistance with their technology and offer me life advise and tips on how to be
successful.
Weakness:
1. I value diversity, defend human rights, advocate for others, and act ethically in all
my interactions, including online.
For a number of reasons, I am completely unaware of what is going on in the world,
particularly in regards to human rights. While I do state that I act ethically in my daily life
and that I embrace diversity, I'm not sure I'd have the courage to stand up for these
values. In the future, I hope to get a better understanding of issues like human rights
and to be more willing to use my voice to help defend them.
Critical Thinking:
Strengths:
1. I can understand the purpose for my work and consider my audience
For my History 12 class, I had to present a project on why Hitler and his party was so
successful and was popular after the highly regarded Weimar Republic. I knew why we
had to do it: to demonstrate the dangers of misinformation and propaganda, especially
in today's world. I kept in mind that my audience was largely peers when preparing the
presentation, therefore I utilized graphics to illustrate the facts, such as when discussing
propaganda. I also kept my terminology simple because I knew my peers wouldn't be
familiar with complicated facts or words. That's why I made it with the audience in mind.
2. I can analyze and critique my work and my learning
For my Spanish final project, I had to present a parody of “The Three Little Pigs” in
Spanish. After finishing the script, I thought it to be dull and unimaginative, and the
writing to be weak. As a result, I incorporated sophisticated vocabulary that I had
learned into it and came up with new ways to improve it. When I was practicing the
script with my classmates, I noticed that my pronunciation was inaccurate, so I decided
to use phonetic spelling to aid. I was able to earn a high grade for the project as a result
of analyzing my work.
Weakness:
1. I can ask good quality questions, gather relevant information, and come up with
well-developed conclusions.
Being able to ask effective questions will help you succeed since you will be able to
obtain the information you require. A good question can make your life easier by
allowing you to inquire instead of searching for the answer yourself. Collecting relevant
information saves time and increases the quality of your job. That is why I wish to
develop my talents in this area. As a result, I'd come up with a good conclusion by
brainstorming crucial questions, looking at the main objectives, and gathering relevant
information.
Creative Thinking:
Strengths:
1. I can use the environment around me, including others, and my unconscious
mind to generate new ideas.
In English class, I had to create a descriptive poem. As a result, I chose to base mine
on nature, so I went to a local park to brainstorm ideas. For language, details, and
setting, I used the park. When I finished my draft, I showed it to my peers, who helped
me improve it by refining it and adding new ideas.
2. I can take my ideas evaluate, develop, and refine them and make something
productive out of them.
For an in-class essay for my English class, I had to come up with my own topic on the
issue of South Asian representation using the show "The Problem with Apu." I'm not
excellent at coming up with ideas on the heat of the moment, so I had to brainstorm. I
started with a mind-map of an idea, then proceeded to add ideas and write details to
them in order to better them. I then modified it, removing some of the arguments and
replacing them with more powerful ones. Finally, I was able to compose a well-written
essay without difficulty, and it was the first time I received a high grade on an essay.
Weakness:
1. I can create new and unique ideas that may provide new perspectives that
influence how people think about topics.
I've always struggled to come up with fresh and out-of-the-box ideas, owing to the fact
that I'm a bit narrow. Improving in this area can let people see you from a different
perspective. It will inspire others, and most importantly, you will grow as a person as a
result of thinking outside the box and broadening your perspectives. Moving forward, I'm
going to come up with a new and innovative ideas for a specific topic and implement it,
even if it doesn't suit me. Just because I don't agree with something doesn't mean
others will.
Communication:
Strengths:
1. I can work with other students to plan, inquire, and solve problems
In Woodwork class, I had to make a complex stool with no previous experience; I was
clueless. I first discussed the measurements with my classmates, as well as the wood to
use and which machine to utilize. I would ask others and my teacher for information,
recommendations, and how to run the machine whenever I was on it. When I was
almost finished, I discovered that one of the legs was too short to fit in the slot, so I went
to my peers for help. They suggested that I glue an extra piece of wood and re-shape it,
which I did, and it worked. This demonstrates how I collaborate with others to solve a
problem.
2. I can listen, learn to contribute meaningfully to discussion and debate, consider
different perspectives, and build consensus.
I had to debate the implications of drug legalization in my Law 12 class. I listen to my
classmates' firsthand experiences with drug addiction and their thoughts on the impacts
of drug legalization. I then expressed my thoughts and views, making sure to contribute
to the conversation in order to make it more valuable. I considered what my peer said,
and we both think that both sides are correct, and this is not a simple issue.
Weakness:
1. I can engage in deep and meaningful inquiry for a variety of purposes and
audiences.
Engaging in a deep and meaningful conversation can have a tremendous positive
impact on your outlook on life. I've always been a quiet person who would never want to
have such a significant discission. Learning how to do so would pave the way for future
success, for example, in work presenting an idea. In the future, I'd like to push myself
out of my comfort zone and start collaborating with others on similar issues.
Personal & Cultural Identity:
Strengths:
1. I know my strengths and what makes me unique
When I started looking for a job, I kept my strengths in mind. I knew I was a team-
oriented worker who excelled at communicating, which made it simple to choose a job
rather than one that required me to rely completely on myself. I knew there would be
days when there would be a shortage of workers, and I felt I can handle it on my own.
2. I understand what is important to me
On weekdays, I would occasionally refuse to go out with friends or play video games
since I knew my top priority was schoolwork, so I would work instead. On the other
hand, if my family asks me to go out, I am certain that I will because these are special
occasions. I would treat people with respect and kindness both at school and outside
because that is what I valued.
Weakness:
1. I understand how what I value has and will shape my choices
I make the majority of my decisions without thinking the implications. I feel like I'm
making a lot of awful decisions that aren't me because I don't understand how my value
influences my choices. Understanding my worth and how it influences my decisions
might lead to future happiness and make difficult decisions simpler. I'll think about my
values and pay attention to the decisions I make in the future.
