Business Finance Lab:
Business Finance Lab:
Can Your Business Survive?
Can Your Business Survive?
Portfolio Case Study | Interactive HTML5 Simulation
Embedded Files
Problem- Aspiring small-business owners need opportunities to practice financial decision-making before committing real capital. Explaining startup costs in isolation does not show how property choices, unforeseen expenses, and cash reserves interact.
Solution- I directed the development of a self-paced, scenario-based simulation in which learners begin with $40,000 and investigate three ways to establish a café: purchasing an existing location, leasing a storefront, or building from scratch. Each option reveals financial tradeoffs and a potential hidden expense. Learners commit to a choice, view its impact on their available cash, and explain their reasoning.
Goals
Design Goal- Create an engaging adult-learning experience that makes the financial consequences of startup decisions visible and supports evidence-based business judgment.
Learning Objective- After completing the simulation, learners will be able to compare three business-location strategies, calculate their immediate impact on a $40,000 startup budget, and justify a selection using financial evidence.
Design Process
Needs Analysis- The prototype addresses a common instructional challenge in introductory business finance: learners may recognize budget categories without understanding how decisions affect remaining capital and future obligations. The simulation provides a low-risk setting to explore those connections. This is a design rationale, not a claim based on completed learner research.
Instructional Design- Using an ADDIE-informed process, I structured the experience around one authentic business decision. Learners can inspect all three options before committing, compare upfront costs and ongoing obligations, and see the effect of a disclosed additional expense on their cash position. The prototype is the first lesson in a planned multi-module Business Finance Lab course.
Interactive Elements- Clickable property options reveal opening timelines, operating costs, and due-diligence findings, including an unexpected refrigeration repair for the existing café. A decision dashboard updates the remaining startup funds after a learner commits to an option. A written prompt asks learners to explain their choice and tradeoffs. The current prototype does not save responses or provide automated scoring.
Tone and Accessibility- The experience uses professional, workplace-oriented language intended for adult learners rather than a high-school classroom aesthetic. Clear option labels, readable financial summaries, and a repeatable decision path support exploration. Additional accessibility and usability testing are planned before broader release.
Evaluation- The working prototype allows learners to compare alternatives and see immediate budget consequences. A diagnostic pre-check, scored post-scenario assessment, learner feedback, and iterative revisions are planned for future development. No learning gains or completion outcomes are claimed at this stage.
Authoring Tools and AI Use- The interactive simulation was developed using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and published through Netlify. I directed the instructional content, learning objectives, scenario development, branching decisions, and assessment design. ChatGPT assisted with coding and technical implementation. All instructional design decisions, content direction, and final review remained my responsibility.
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