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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "BUS 305"
COURSE NAME: "Introduction to Entrepreneurship"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall Semester 2012
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Pulino Silvia
HOURS: TTH 10:00-11:15
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: Sophomore Standing
OFFICE HOURS:
COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course examines the entrepreneurial process, from recognizing opportunity to planning, organizing and growing a new venture. We will highlight innovation and its methods and applications on business opportunity analysis. Topics covered also include significance, status, problems and requirements of entrepreneurial businesses. This course will serve as a foundation for students who might want to own a business, and it is meant to be accessible also for non business majors.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Entrepreneurial Opportunities and Rewards.      Characteristics and Competencies of Entrepreneurs. Creativity, Opportunity, and feasibility. Paths to Full-Time Entrepreneurship. Business Plans for New Businesses. Marketing and Promotion for Entrepreneurs. Distribution and Location. Finance for Entrepreneurs: Cash Management, Capital Structure. Risk Management and Insurance. Legal Issues for Entrepreneurs.

Course content will include materials related to identifying and analyzing market opportunities, evaluating resources required to exploit market opportunities, and launching of a new venture. This process will be assessed mainly from the perspective of an individual entrepreneur.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After successful completion of the course the student will be able to:                   

  • Understand the relationship between innovation, business opportunity and entrepreneurship
  • Identify the challenges inherent in innovation and in launching a new business
  • Evaluate business ideas in a systematic manner
  • Draft a business plan for a new venture
  • Recognize the implementation issues that arise from an entrepreneurial business plan
  • Establish measurements to evaluate progress and success
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
- Entrepreneurial Small BusinessKatz and Green  n/a     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
class participation 10
mid-term exam 20
final exam 30
business plan - group project 40

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
No more than 3 absences allowed.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

 

Class

Chapter

Topic

L.O.s

1

1

Opportunities and rewards

- understand the difference between small business and high growth ventures
- understand the rewards entrepreneurs can achieve
- identify key actions for successful entrepreneurship (BRIE model)
- understand role of small businesses  in the economy and the community

2

1

(contd.)

(contd.)

3

2

Managing external relations

- understand the elements that make up the small business environment
- scan the small business environment
- build legitimacy for the organization
- conduct social networking activities
- develop the basic skills to handle a crisis
- understand how to achieve sustainability
- make ethical business decisions

4

2

(contd.)

(contd.)

5

3

Characteristics and competencies of entrepreneurs

- Classify entrepreneurial personality types

- Identify the operational competencies of the successful entrepreneur

- Assess his/her own entrepreneurial competencies

- Understand the types of career paths entrepreneurs pursue

- Recognize the special challenges of family business owners, entrepreneurial teams, women and minority business owners, and late entrepreneurs

6

3

(contd.)

(contd.)

7

4

Entrepreneurial ideas: Creativity, Opportunity and Feasibility

- Understand the sources of opportunity entrepreneurs draw on to get business ideas
- Evaluate the merits of a business idea
- Recognize new opportunities
- Understand the pitfalls that hinder innovation
- Identify strategies for innovation
- Conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of a business idea
- Pilot test an Internet business
- Recognize the value of building a creative culture

8

4

(contd.)

(contd.)

9

5

Paths to part-time entrepreneurship

- Decide when and why part-time entrepreneurship makes sense
-  Assess part-time business approaches
- Identify the major paths to part-time entrepreneurship
- Identify key success factors in part-time entrepreneurship
- Understand the benefits of delegation, outsourcing and bootstrapping
- Understand the ethical challenges of part-time entrepreneurship

10

6

Paths to full-time entrepreneurship

- Understand ways to get into entrepreneurship
- Understand rewards and pitfalls of starting a new business
- Understand the implications of purchasing an existing business
- Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of buying a franchise
- Understand the issues of inheriting a family-owned business
- Understand approaches to business valuation

11

7

Strategies for new businesses

- Establish a foundation for strategic planning
- Learn the forms of imitative and innovative businesses
- Articulate the benefits that win over customers
- Discover how industry changes affect strategy
- Understand the major strategies of business-differentiation, cost, and focus
- Use SWOT analysis to identify strategic options
- Learn how to sustain competitive advantage through attracting customers and discouraging competition

12

7

(contd.)

(contd.)

13

8

Business plans

- Develop a business plan that tells a persuasive story
- Understand the major sections of the classic business plan
- Focus business plan sections to meet specific needs
- Identify the major risks to business plan success
- Master presenting your business plan to others

14

8

(contd.)

(contd.)

15

 

 

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

16

9

Entrepreneurial Marketing - Product and Pricing

- Define characteristics of goods and services
- Define total product
- Understand the stages of new product development
- Understand the product life cycle
- Define a pricing strategy

18

10

Entrepreneurial Marketing - Promotion

- Assess the value proposition
- Segment and further define the target audience
- Apply different approaches and methods to craft and convey the promotional message
- Understand the key skills involved in personal selling
- Recognize the major approaches to customer relationship management
- Develop a press relations program
- Develop a public relations program

19

11

Placement

1. Recognize the different types of direct marketing and their pros and cons
2. Learn how to do non-direct distribution

3. Differentiate the types of international strategies
4. Identify what factors to consider in selecting your business location
5. Recognize the key issues in leasing
6. Know what to look for in evaluating a potential site layout
7. Understand the pros and cons of buying, building or leasing

20

12

Marketing plan

- Understand the importance of a marketing plan
- Recognize the major methods for marketing research
- Use sales forecasting methods
- Find or create a product’s differential advantage
- Identify the critical components of a marketing plan
- Write a marketing plan

21

12

Marketing plan

(contd.)

22

13

Projecting and Evaluating Performance

- Describe the basic concepts of accounting
- Specify the requirements for a small business accounting system
- Read and understand common financial statements
- Use accounting information as a tool for managing the business effectively
- Develop a complete set of craft budgets
- Use accounting information to make better business decisions

23

13

(contd.)

(contd.)

24

14

Cash flow

- Understand the importance of managing your business’s money
- Explain the concepts of money, cash, and cash equivalents
- Explain the basics of managing cash flow
- Understand the difference between bank and company book balances
- Develop a cash budget
- Develop strategies for preventing and coping with cash flow problems

25

15

Sources of finance

- Describe the three types of capital financing and their costs and trade-offs
- Explain the characteristics of a business that determine its ability to raise capital
- Determine the best type of financing for a business.
- Describe the differing needs for financial management at each stage of business life

26

16, 17

Inventory & Operations / Risk and Insurance

Only SOME of the following:
- Describe techniques to manage short-term assets
- Calculate the value of assets in your business
- Describe techniques for managing fixed assets
- Calculate ratios used to analyze capital investment decisions
- Describe the advantages of renting or leasing capital equipment
- Describe techniques to manage and improve the operations of your business

Explain the meaning and nature of business risk
- Describe the specific types of risks associated with different aspects of business operations
- Describe techniques to manage risks to stay within your level of risk tolerance
- Explain how insurance can be used to manage business risk
- Describe techniques for sharing risk with other businesses and organizations

27

18, 19

Legal issues / HRM

- Know when you need legal information and how to get it
- Understand legal structures in setting up a new business
- Understand the process of negotiating
- Recognize potential legal liabilities for your business
- Know contract terms and when a contract is needed
- Understand the basics of intellectual property
 ________________________________________
- Decide whether to hire full-time or part-time
- Recruit good employees on your budget
- Describe employee training methods and resources
- Understand how to meet employees’ needs and expectations
- Develop a fair compensation and benefit plan
- Understand the complexities of managing family within your business

28

20

Measuring success

- Recognize the stages of the small business cycle
- Understand the four types of firm-level growth strategies
- Understand the options for harvesting or closing the business
- Know the critical success factors
- Understand what success means with the quadruple bottom line

 

 

 

FINAL EXAMINATION