MODULE SPECIFICATION TEMPLATE
MODULE DETAILS
Module title
Module code
Credit value
Level
Mark the box to the right of the
appropriate level with an ‘X’
CA380 New Business Planning
10
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Level 0 (for modules at foundation level)
x
Level 7
Level 8
Entry criteria for registration on this module
Pre-requisites
Having successfully completed level 4
Specify in terms of module codes or
equivalent
Co-requisite modules
Specify in terms of module codes or
equivalent
Module delivery
Mode of delivery
Taught
Other
x
Distance
Placement
Pattern of delivery
Weekly
x
Block
Other
Online
When module is delivered
Semester 1
x
Semester 2
x
Throughout year
Other
Brief description of module The module is designed to integrate the subject matter from different
areas of the curriculum through group and individual tasks that encourage
content and/ or aims
the use of research skills, the ability to work in teams and personal
Overview (max 80 words)
development generally.
By partnering with other Schools the module will also mutually introduce
BBS students to the language and culture of other disciplines that will
often play an important role in the development of a new product or
service.
Module team/ author/
coordinator(s)
School
Site/ campus where
delivered
The delivery and assessment of this module has a strong involvement
from the local business community, through the use of the ‘entrepreneur in
residence’ who will attend most classes and the use of a local bank
manager and other MD’s as either guest speakers and pitch assessors or
even as a client. This will help ensure that the academic and practitioner
viewpoints are well represented.
C Conway, L Povey, A Berry
Brighton Business School
Moulsecoomb
Course(s) for which module is appropriate and status on that course
Course
All BBS undergraduate courses
BSc (Hons) Product Design
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Status (mandatory/ compulsory/
optional)
optional
optional
BA (Hons) Digital Media
BA (Hons) Business Information Systems
optional
optional
MODULE AIMS, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT
Aims
The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to simulate in
as near a ‘real world’ scenario as possible the preparatory process for
starting up a business.
The module also aims to inculcate and implement an entrepreneurial
team spirit that cuts across not only business studies disciplines but
also across other industry/professional approaches by working with the
School of Engineering and CMIS.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students should be able to:
 demonstrate the ability to carry out a marketing research project
 demonstrate their ability to produce a business plan with
appropriate sections in terms of finance, marketing and legal
issues
 demonstrate their understanding of the interaction between the
legal, economic, marketing and financial aspects of starting a
business
 demonstrate their ability to integrate their learning and present it in
a manner appropriate for business decisions as a hardcopy
artefact to high street bank standard
 demonstrate their ability to work in groups
Content
Lectures will be given by visiting practitioners, university staff and an
‘entrepreneur in residence’, to cover the normal requirements expected
by a banking institution for the launch of a new business. It would be
expected that all students will have already covered issues of
marketing, law and finance in either their first or second year, however,
the lectures below will coordinate the syllabi content to help prepare
students to write a business plan.
A novel feature of this module is the potential cooperation with the
Engineering School, (semester 1), and compulsory cooperation with
CMIS (semester 2). In semester one BBS students will be offered the
choice of working with a Design Engineering student or they can
choose to develop a project by themselves or work with a business
client (also in the semester 2 programme).
In the second semester the students from CMIS will work more closely
with BBS students, and will represent a compulsory element of the
programme. The CMIS students will be expected to attend all the
classes and be subject to the same assessment. It will also be
expected that CMIS will provide an additional one hour support tutorial
to help prepare them to work more effectively with BBS students. In
practice students of different disciplines will line-manage each other for
the areas of assessment where different skill sets are required.
There will also be a strong link with Business Services’ ‘BeePurple’
programme which features additional support for potential
entrepreneurs in the form of workshops and counselling. Students will
be encouraged to attend this programme to widen their perspective
about developing ideas and starting a business.
Workshop Topics:
Introduction and Organisation
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Creativity: new product/service development
Small business marketing
Legal Entity and Protection (Different legal structures & IPR)
Accounting for Business: (P&L and Cash Flow and Balance Sheet)
Accounting for Business: (P&L and Cash Flow and Balance Sheet)
Revision session led by the ‘entrepreneur in residence’ with support
from other local MD’s summarizing good practice for business
planning and business
Learning support
Teaching and learning activities
Details of teaching and
learning activities
Indicative reading:
The latest editions of:
Atrill, P. & Mclaney, E., Financial Accounting for Non-Specialists,
Prentice Hall
Atrill, P., Financial Management for Non-Specialists, Prentice Hall
Barrow, C., The complete small business guide: sources of information
for new and small businesses, BBC Books.
Berry, A. & Jarvis, R., Accounting in a Business Context, Thomson
Burns, P. & Dewhurst, J., Small Business and Entrepreneurship,
Macmillan.
Davis, J. & Padfield, N., Intellectual Property Law, Butterworths Lexis
Nexis.
Kenny, B. & Dyson, K., Marketing in Small Businesses, Routledge
Macintyre, E., Business Law, Pearson
Priddis, J., Start Your Business Step by Step. Essential Business
Guide Ltd
Williams, S., Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide, Press Vitesse,
Journals:
Journal of small business and enterprise development
International Small Business Journal
Web sites:
www.startups.co.uk/default.aspx
www.fastlinksolutions.co.uk/
www.smallbusinessportal.co.uk/index.php
Allocation of study hours (indicative)
Where 10 credits = 100 learning hours
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Study hours
SCHEDULED
This is an indication of the number of hours students can expect to
spend in scheduled teaching activities including lectures, seminars,
tutorials, project supervision, demonstrations, practical classes and
workshops, supervised time in workshops/ studios, fieldwork,
external visits, and work-based learning.
14
GUIDED INDEPENDENT
STUDY
All students are expected to undertake guided independent study
which includes wider reading/ practice, follow-up work, the
completion of assessment tasks, and revisions.
86
PLACEMENT
The placement is a specific type of learning away from the University
that is not work-based learning or a year abroad.
TOTAL STUDY HOURS
100
Assessment tasks
Details of assessment for
this module
The assessment will normally involve a group of 4 students with a
formative non summative/pass-fail presentation (circa 20minutes) of a
draft business plan that will help inform the submission one week later
of the final plan (4000 words).
Types of assessment task1
% weighting
Indicative list of summative assessment tasks which lead to the award of credit or which are required for
progression.
(or indicate if
component is
pass/fail)
WRITTEN
COURSEWORK
Submission of a group business plan
100
PRACTICAL
EXAMINATION INFORMATION
Area examination board
Strategy
Refer to Faculty Office for guidance in completing the following sections
External examiners
Name
Position and institution
Date appointed
Date tenure
ends
Refer to Studentcentral
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Date of first approval
2008
Only complete where this is not the
first version
Date of last revision
2012
1 Set exercises, which assess the application of knowledge or analytical, problem-solving or evaluative skills, are included
under the type of assessment most appropriate to the particular task.
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Only complete where this is not the
first version
Date of approval for this
version
Version number
Modules replaced
Specify codes of modules for which
this is a replacement
Available as free-standing module?
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Yes
No
x