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Professor: Les Ledger
Department: Management, Marketing, and Administrative Systems
E-Mail: l.ledger@tamu.edu
Course Syllabus: Small Business Management
Method of Contact: Message Me via Blackboard (BB).
*Syllabus is subject to change/correction, but in due time, students will be notified of any
change/correction."
COURSE OVERVIEW
According to the authors, this course is “to provide instruction and
guidance that will greatly improve your odds for success as you take up
your own entrepreneurial journey.” (Longenecker et al, p.xiii)
The authors present strategies for starting a small business from scratch,
for buying an ongoing business or a franchise, for creating a business
plan, for focusing on the customer, for securing funding to operate the
business, and for managing growth. Also included in the strategies is a
strategy for exiting the business.
STUDENT OUTCOMES
Students should be able to do the following at the conclusion of the course:
1.
1. See the importance of small business to the U. S. economy
2. Explain the importance of integrity to the success of a business
firm
3. Find ways to start a business from scratch, by buying a business,
or buying a franchise.
4. Create a business plan by which to operate the business better
and by which to secure financing.
5. Use a business plan to plan for the contingencies that may occur,
to build a business that offers a product or service to serve the
needs of the customers, to build a great management team, and
to construct an efficient and effective organization.
6. Create growth strategies for the firm by focusing on the customer
and his/her needs.
7. Manage growth by securing good managers and good coworkers.
8. Design a product or service to meet the needs of a market.
9. Manage the assets of the business.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Exam on Course Requirements and Course Content (50 points):
The student will read over the Course Requirements, Course Content,
Assignment Requirement, and Exam Requirements and complete an Exam
over the contents.
The passing grade of 70% proves that the student understands the
requirements of the course and the procedures through which the course is
conducted.
The Exam over Course Requirements and Course Content is open for two
hours and the student may use his/her text and course information for
completing the examination.
The successful completion also signifies the student’s agreement to abide
by the procedures. The Course Requirement and Course Content Exam
must be taken and passed in the first week of the class.
Parts Exams (650 points): The student will take five exams as listed
below. The exams will be available over a 72 hour period online. All
Times are Central Daylight Savings Times.
Exams are timed, and once started must be completed. There will be no
make-ups for missed exams unless there is a documented medical
emergency. Technology and internet service problems are not acceptable
excuses for missing exams and/or assignments. Make sure that you
computer and the Internet Service Provider are dependable.
Make sure that computers are dependable, and there is a dependable
internet service. Exams are not reset due to technical problems.
Part Exam 1 covers chapters 1-5 and has 50 multiple choice questions
Part Exam 2 covers chapters 6-9 and has 50 multiple choice questions
Part Exam 3 covers chapters 10-13 and has 50 multiple choice questions
Part Exam 4 covers chapters 14-18 and has 50 multiple choice questions
Part Exam 5 covers chapters 19-23 and has 75 multiple choice
questions and questions from chapters 1-18
Part Exams 1-4 are worth 125 points each; Part Exam 5 is worth 150 points
covers chapters 19-23 and questions from chapters 1-18.
Success in taking the Exams comes from reading the book, reading the
chapter summaries, and looking over the exhibits in the chapters.
Written Experiential Exercises (150 points):
Learning by doing is a method of gaining mastery of a course. The student
will submit six (6) written Experiential Exercise (EE) during the eight-week
course. See due dates on the Schedule of Assignments and Exams in the
Course Menu at the left. .
Each EE is worth 25 points when completed correctly and when presented
in college level composition style which is later described. Criteria are
explained in Assignments. EEs must be submitted through the folders
placed in Assignments in the Coursed Menu at the left. The EEs will not be
accepted as attachments to Messages or Emails. The due dates are in
the Schedule of Assignments and Exams Link on the Left Menu. No late
assignments will be accepted.
Cases (100 points):
Students will be assigned two cases. One case will be assigned for the first
four weeks, and the other will be assigned in the second four weeks. Cases
will be assigned by the first letter of the last name. In addition to
submitting the required case, each student will be required to comment on
at least two other students’ cases with salient comments and with proper
name identification such as using the first and last name of the student...
Criteria are explained in Assignments.
PROFESSIONAL WRITING AND COMMUNICATION STANDARDS
Course Standards:
Professional level writing and communications are critical skills in the
business world. This standard should be displayed in all assignments for
this class. All communications, both to the professor and student
colleagues, should be kept professional, including Discussion Board postings
and email/Message correspondence. For written assignments, all work
should be proofread, free of grammatical errors, include proper citations
format and be in accordance with the American Psychological Association
(APA) standards. There will be deductions for assignments that are not
written at university level. Run-on sentences, poor grammar, and
misspelling bring substantial deductions.
There should be properly cited references to the content of the chapters in
the EEs and Case discussions. Direct quotations from any chapter are
required. Direct quotations are ones in which exact sentences are
quoted. The quotations are followed by the page number from which the
quotation is taken. Identifying the authors isn't necessary. Am example
would be the following, "The entrepreneur personality takes an idea and
turns it into an opportunity." (page 20)
For information on APA standards correct citation formats consult the APA
Publication Manual, and/or line to the following source:
http://www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_strategy/citing/apa.html.
GRADING POINTS AND POLICIES
There are 1000 points available in this class as shown below:
Course Content Exam
Five Exams
Experiential
Exercises (6 total)
Cases (2 total)
50
points
650
points
150
points
100
points
There is no extra credit in this course.
Request for Incomplete Grades:
Incompletes will only be given in emergency or other extreme documented
circumstances. Any request for an incomplete grade in this course must be
approved by the professor prior to the last week of classes. Where
possible, requests should be submitted in written form and must include an
address and/or telephone number where the student can be contacted
throughout the following semester. The TAMUCT symbol for incompletes
will entered. Incompletes cannot be used for longer than two weeks in this
course. The course must be completed.
Questions concerning a student’s grades on a particular task (e.g., test,
case) should be resolved within one week after the student receives the
graded material. There will be no reviewing of previously graded material
at the end of the semester.
Course Grades are assigned as follows:
Cours
e
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Calculatio
n
90% x
1000
80% x
1000
70% x
1000
60% x
1000
50% x
1000
Minimu
m
Points
Require
d
900
800
700
600
599.
9 and
below
Grading Policy:
Minimum points required for a specific course grade are noted on the
above table. Minimum points required for a specific course grade will not
be revised for any reason.
Posting of Grades:
o




All student grades will be posted in Blackboard Grade Book.
Grades for Exams will be posted the day after the availability
period has expired.
Grades for Discussions Forum and/or Cases will be posted by
within four days following due date.
Grades for longer Written Assignments will be posted one week
from the due date.
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS AND SUPPORT
This course will use the TAMUCT Blackboard Learn learning management
system for class communications, content distribution, and assessments.
Logon to https://tamuct.blackboard.com to access the course.
Username: Your MyCT username (xx123 or everything before the "@" in
your MyCT e-mail address)
Initial password: Your MyCT password
For this course, you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer
and to the internet. If you do not have frequent and reliable access to a
computer with internet connection, please consider dropping this course or
contact the instruction to discuss the situation. Have the discussion during
the first week in class.
Blackboard supports the most common operating systems:
PC: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista
Mac: Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), 10.8 (Mountain Lion), and 10.7 (Lion)
NOTE: Computers using Windows XP, Windows 8 RT and OS X 10.6 or lower
are NO longer supported
Upon logging on to Blackboard Learn, you will see a link to Blackboard
Student Orientation under My Courses tab.
Click on that link and study the materials in this orientation course.
The new Blackboard is a brand-new interface and you will have to come up
to speed with it really quickly.
This orientation course will help you get there.
There is also a link to Blackboard Help from inside the course on the lefthand menu bar.
The first week of the course includes activities and assignments that will
help you get up to speed with navigation, sending and receiving messages
and discussion posts, and submitting an assignment.
Your ability to function within the Blackboard system will facilitate your
success in this course.
Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement – make sure
your computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of
deadlines.
Technology Support
For technology issues, students should contact Help Desk Central. 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week:
Email: helpdesk@tamu.edu
Phone: (254) 519-5466 is the Help Desk Phone. Always get the name of
the service tech. Service Techs cannot change grades or extend
assignments. Depend on making contact with the help desk using a
phone. Use Web Chat at your own risk. Always get the name of the
person helping you, the time, and the date.
Web Chat: http://hdc.tamu.edu
When calling for support please let your support technician know you are a
TAMUCT student. For issues related to course content and requirements,
contact your instructor.
COURSE AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES/PROCEDURES
Drop Policy:
If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records
Office and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop
students; this is always the responsibility of the student. The record’s
office will provide a deadline for which the form must be returned,
completed and signed. Once you return the signed form to the records
office and wait 24 hours, you must confirm that you are no longer enrolled.
Should you still be enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office
immediately? You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to
avoid penalty for absence. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow
the procedure, you will receive an F in the course.
Academic Integrity:
Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high
standards of honor in personal and scholarly conduct. Any deviation from
this expectation may result in a minimum of a failing grade for the
assignment and potentially a failing grade for the course. All academic
dishonesty concerns will be reported to the university's Office of Student
Conduct. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on
an examination or other academic work, plagiarism and improper citation
of sources, using another student's work, collusion, and the abuse of
resource materials. When in doubt on collaboration, citation, or any issue,
please contact me before taking a course of action. More information can
be found at
http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/studentconduct/academicintegrity.
php
Disability Support Services:
If you have or believe you have a disability and wish to self-identify, you
can do so by providing documentation to the Disability Support
Coordinator. Students are encouraged to seek information about
accommodations to help assure success in their courses. Please call (254)
501-5831 or visit Founder's Hall 114, Suite 114. Additional information can
be found
at http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/disabilitysupport/index.php
Tutoring:
Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online.
Subjects tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and
Writing. Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Warrior Hall, Room
111. Visitwww.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click "Tutoring Support"
for tutor schedules and contact info. If you have questions, need to
schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor,
contact Academic Support Programs at 254-501-5830 or by emailing
tutoring@ct.tamus.edu.
Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on your computer!
Tutor.com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMUCT students to
log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support. This tool
provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing, Chemistry,
Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To access Tutor.com, log
into your Blackboard account and click "Online Tutoring."
Library Services:
Library distance education services aims to make available quality
assistance to A&M-Central Texas students seeking information sources
remotely by providing digital reference, online information literacy
tutorials, and digital research materials. Much of the TAMUCT collection is
available instantly from home. This includes over half of the library's book
collection, as well as approximately 25,000 electronic journals and 200
online databases. Library Distance Education Services are outlined and
accessed
at: http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/library/deservices.php
Information literacy focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to
live and work in an information-centered society. Librarians will work with
students in the development of critical reasoning, ethical use of
information, and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques.
Help may include, but is not limited to: the exploration of information
resources such as library collections, the identification of appropriate
materials, and the execution of effective search strategies. Library
Resources are outlined and accessed
at: http://www.tamuct.edu/departments/library/index.php
Check your catalogues for the last date to drop an 8 week class with no penalty and the
last date to drop an 8 week course with a Q or W