Bachelor's Thesis

Development of Small or Medium Sized Company

Final Thesis 2.29 MB

Author of thesis: Bc. David Ondruš

Acad. year: 2025/2026

Supervisor: doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D.

Reviewer: Ing. Jana Andrýsková

Abstract:

The aim of this bachelor's thesis is to design a scalable client acquisition system for Ondruš & Partners, a Czech advisory company operating in the Dubai real estate market. The thesis responds to a defined business problem: a strong service offering exists, but client acquisition currently depends on referrals and informal networking, which prevents predictable growth. The methodology combines desk research, structured mystery shopping of a key competitor, and a qualitative interview framework conducted with seventeen clients and active prospects. The theoretical foundation draws on strategic marketing frameworks (STP, Value Proposition Canvas, Blue Ocean Strategy), digital marketing and funnel architecture, and behavioural psychology. The main outcome of the thesis is the design of an integrated
eight-step client acquisition system covering paid advertising, conversion landing page architecture, retargeting, organic personal branding, lead qualification, and consultative sales. The proposed system serves as a practical, deployment-ready blueprint for the company and as a case study of how academic frameworks can be translated into a functional acquisition mechanism in a high-value cross-border advisory market.

Keywords:

client acquisition, digital marketing funnel, Dubai real estate market, value proposition design, Blue Ocean Strategy, consumer psychology, consultative selling

Date of defence

22.06.2026

Result of the defence

Defended (thesis was successfully defended)

znamkaBznamka

Grading

B

Process of defence

In his presentation, the student informed the committee about the objectives, solutions and results he had reached in his thesis. The committee then read the opinions and evaluation of the thesis supervisor and the opponent. The student answered the question from the supervisor's assessment in full. Questions from committee members: 1. doc. Zich: If you work wiht CAC criterium. What are the costs you expect? - answered 2. Ing. Ulč: You said "the prodct is strong". Based on what you wrote this statement? - answered 3. Ing. Bumberová: What other KPIs metrics can be usefull for you? - partly answered 4. Ing. Bumberová: What is your unique value for the customer? - partly answered 5. Ing. Ulč: How many apartments did you sell last year? - answered On the basis of the presentation and the answers to the questions asked in the discussion, the committee decided that the student defended the thesis.

Language of thesis

English

Faculty

Fakulta podnikatelská

Department

Department of Management

Study programme

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (BAK-ESBD)

Composition of Committee

doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D. (předseda)
Ing. David Havíř, Ph.D. (člen)
Ing. Jakub Ulč (člen)
Ing. Veronika Bumberová, Ph.D. (člen)
doc. Ing. Vít Chlebovský, Ph.D. (místopředseda)

Supervisor’s report
doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D.

David Ondruš’s bachelor’s thesis is a very strong practically oriented thesis. Its main strengths are the clear definition of the business problem, the strong link between analysis and proposal, and the high practical applicability of the proposed solution. Compared with more standard bachelor’s theses, this work is particularly strong in the proposal part and in its implementation logic. The main limitations are the methodological dependence on the author’s own business perspective and the fact that the proposed system has not yet been fully tested in practice. However, these limitations are openly acknowledged and do not undermine the overall contribution of the thesis.

Which KPI would you consider the most important in the first 90 days after launching the paid acquisition funnel, and why?
Evaluation criteria Verbal classification Grade
Meeting the objectives The objective of the thesis was to propose an approach to the development of the activities of a selected enterprise. In the thesis, this objective is specified as the design of a scalable client acquisition system for Ondruš & Partners, a Czech advisory company operating in the Dubai real estate market. The thesis focuses on a clearly defined business problem: the company has a strong service offering, but its growth is limited by dependence on referrals and personal networking. The objective of the thesis can be considered fulfilled. The author defines relevant theoretical foundations, analyses the market environment, competitors, target customers and the company’s own service ecosystem, and then develops a detailed proposal for a client acquisition system. The proposal includes the architecture of the acquisition funnel, communication principles, advertising scripts, qualification process, CRM logic and key performance indicators. The proposed system has not yet been fully implemented and verified in practice, but this limitation is clearly explained in the thesis. C
Selected procedure of the solution, the adequacy of the used methods The chosen approach is appropriate for the nature of the problem. The theoretical part uses relevant concepts from strategic marketing, value proposition design, digital marketing, behavioural psychology and consultative selling. These concepts are not used only descriptively; they are connected to the analytical and proposal parts of the thesis. Specific research approaches are described in analytical part. The analytical part is based on desk research, competitor analysis, mystery shopping and qualitative interviews with clients and active prospects. This combination is suitable for a topic focused on trust, customer decision-making and acquisition in a high-value advisory market. A limitation of the methodology is that part of the analysis is based on the author’s own business experience and on the internal perspective of the company. The author acknowledges this limitation, which I consider important. C
The ability to interpret the results and to draw conclusions The author demonstrates a good ability to interpret analytical findings and transform them into concrete conclusions. The thesis clearly shows that the key development problem is not the service itself, but the lack of a systematic and scalable client acquisition mechanism. The proposal follows logically from the analytical findings. For example, the identified problems of information asymmetry, unrealistic yield expectations, lack of trust and insufficient post-purchase support are reflected in the proposed communication strategy, educational content, transparent explanation of risks and consultative sales process. Some parts of the text are written in a rather entrepreneurial and marketing-oriented style, but the overall logic of the thesis remains clear and coherent. B
The practical usability of conclusions The practical applicability of the thesis is very high. The proposal is not limited to general recommendations; it provides a concrete and implementable blueprint for the company. The acquisition system is described step by step, including Meta Ads, a landing page, video sales letter, retargeting, organic personal branding, lead qualification, Calendly, Airtable and KPI evaluation. The thesis therefore provides a realistic basis for further development of the company. Its value lies mainly in the strong connection between the real business problem, the analytical findings and the proposed solution. B
The thesis´s framework, formalities, used terminology and the professional level of language The structure of the thesis is logical and clear. The theoretical, analytical and proposal parts are well connected. The author uses relevant professional terminology and demonstrates a good understanding of the selected frameworks. The language is generally understandable and fluent. In some passages, the style is more personal and business-oriented than strictly academic. There are also minor formal imperfections, such as occasional inconsistencies in numbering or wording. These issues do not significantly reduce the overall quality of the thesis. C
Using of information resources, including citations The thesis uses relevant academic sources from marketing, strategy, business research, behavioural economics and digital marketing. The author also works with market and competitor-related sources. The sources are used appropriately, especially in the theoretical and proposal parts. In some market-related claims, a more precise distinction between verified data, industry estimates and the author’s own interpretation would be beneficial. B

Grade proposed by supervisor: C

Reviewer’s report
Ing. Jana Andrýsková

The thesis has a practical focus. The author does not address business development in general terms, but instead concentrates on a specific constraint on the company’s growth: its reliance on referrals and the lack of a systematic lead generation mechanism. This problem definition is convincing, and the proposal section builds directly upon it.
A strength of the thesis is the practical knowledge of the environment, the ability to effectively link marketing and strategic frameworks with a specific proposal for an acquisition system, and the relatively high level of detail in the proposal. A weakness is the lack of methodological independence in the analytical section. The author primarily draws on his own company, personal experience, his own clients, and a single mystery shopping case, which reduces the degree of objectivity. The thesis also does not provide a full validation of the proposed system using real-world data, as the paid campaigns were not launched. The author explicitly states this limitation, which is appropriate, but it is essential for evaluating the achievement of the objective.
Evaluation criteria Verbal classification Grade
Meeting the objectives The stated objective of this thesis can be considered largely achieved. The author clearly identifies the company’s main problem: the service exists and has market potential, but its growth is limited by the lack of a systematic approach to client acquisition. This problem is addressed by a proposed acquisition system that includes paid advertising, a landing page, retargeting, personal branding, lead qualification, consultative selling, and closing the deal. B
Selected procedure of the solution, the adequacy of the used methods The stated objective of this thesis can be considered largely achieved. The author clearly identifies the company’s main problem: the service exists and has market potential, but its growth is limited by the lack of a systematic approach to client acquisition. This problem is addressed by a proposed acquisition system that includes paid advertising, a landing page, retargeting, personal branding, lead qualification, consultative selling, and closing the deal. A positive aspect is that the thesis does not dwell on the general formulation of “company development” but specifies the development need in the area of client acquisition. The proposal section logically follows the analytical findings and also includes KPIs for future evaluation of the system, such as CPC, landing page conversion rate, CPL, show-up rate, qualification rate, close rate, CAC, and ROAS. I consider it a limitation that the acquisition system was not fully deployed at the time of writing. The author states that paid campaigns were suspended due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East and that, for now, only partial data from organic social media engagement is available. The objective of the proposal is therefore met, but the objective of verifying the system’s effectiveness is not. This is acceptable for a bachelor’s thesis, but it weakens the strength of the conclusions. C
The ability to interpret the results and to draw conclusions The author demonstrates a strong ability to interpret findings and translate them into design decisions. Based on the analytical section, the author concludes that the main constraint on growth is not the product or service itself, but rather insufficient reach and the lack of a systematic acquisition strategy. This conclusion is consistent with both the initial problem statement and the design section. Some of the proposals tend to make generalizations without sufficient grounding in the data.   C
The practical usability of conclusions The design section provides a relatively detailed proposal for an acquisition system. It includes the value proposition, target customer segmentation, a communication framework, funnel architecture, ad designs, landing pages, retargeting, lead qualification, CRM logic, a consultation phase, a strategic presentation, and KPIs for future system management. A
The thesis´s framework, used terminology and the professional level of language The thesis has a logical structure: introduction, problem definition, theoretical section, analytical section, proposal section, implementation status, conclusion, and list of references. The internal coherence between the sections is generally good. The terminology is generally appropriate, particularly in the areas of strategic marketing, digital acquisition, and consultative selling. The author is well-versed in concepts such as funnel, lead qualification, CAC, ROAS, value proposition, positioning, retargeting, pain relievers, and gain creators. However, the formal and linguistic aspects are uneven. The thesis is written in English; the language is readable and stylistically strong, but in places it reads more like a business/marketing document than an academic bachelor’s thesis. The introduction is distinctly narrative and personal. Minor formal errors also appear in the text. C
Using of information resources This thesis draws on relevant academic sources in the fields of marketing, strategy, research methodology, behavioral economics, and sales. The bibliography includes standard and carefully selected sources, such as Kotler, Osterwalder, Grant, Porter, Kim and Mauborgne, Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick, Saunders, Kahneman, Cialdini, and others. The thesis also draws on industry and institutional sources regarding the Dubai real estate market, such as the Dubai Land Department, the Dubai Statistics Center, CBRE, Knight Frank, and others. B

Grade proposed by reviewer: C

Responsibility: Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Odstrčilová