Virtual Enterprise:
Taking a Leap Into Real Business
Presented by:
Bill Seawright
Laurens District High School
Laurens High School and the
Raider Trading Company are part of the
South Carolina Virtual Enterprise Network
What is Virtual Enterprise?
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Simulated Business
Set-up/Operated by Students
Teacher/Facilitator Assistance
Business Partnerships
Students experience, in a simulated business environment,
all facets of being an employee in a firm.
A Virtual Experience of
Real World Enterprise
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Human Resources
Accounting
Product Development
Production
Distribution
Marketing
Sales
Enables students to understand how employees, workgroup
teams, and departments interact with each other and work
together for the goal of the company.
How Does VE Work?
• Students elect to participate in the VE program
• Students apply for positions in one of the departments
of the VE firm
CEO & Receptionist
Sales & Marketing
Administration
Accounting & Finance
Human Resources
• Students develop or revise a business plan.
• Students develop or refine methods and
procedures required by the business.
• Students make decisions regarding personal
finance (checking accounts & budgeting).
• Students engage in trade with other virtual firms
via fax, postal mail, e-mail, the Web e-commerce,
and trade fairs.
Curriculum and Standards
The Virtual Enterprises International Program has
developed a task-based curriculum that combines
both academic and applied learning. It has also
developed Economics for the Virtual Enterprise, a
curriculum that aligns economic concepts to the
day-to-day activities of the VE.
The VE Program addresses national and local
learning standards at the commencement level.
The VE experience enables students to develop:
Business Skills
Technical Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Problem-solving Skills
Teamwork Skills
• Students will take on the responsibilities of
developing:
-A Market Research Plan
-A Business Plan
-An Advertising Strategy
• Students will also be involved in:
-Buying and Selling Products & Services
-Paying Taxes
-Earning Income
-Maintain a 401K plan
Types of Virtual Enterprise
Businesses
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Wholesale
Retail
Publishing
Tourism
Consulting
Banking & Finance
Electronics
Advertising
Cosmetics & Fashion
Benefits for Students
• Using technology as applied in business,
including the use of the Internet for global
transactions and communications.
• Develop entrepreneur skills.
• Learning personal and corporate financial
management.
• Gaining hands-on experience in a variety of
careers associated with business and industry.
• Networking with business partners and other
students throughout the world.
• Developing skills in problem solving, critical
analysis, time-management, personal
communication and public speaking,
negotiation, and teamwork.
• Developing self-confidence and an
understanding of the expectations of the
workplace.
Interviews
Cody greeting Mr. Jim Coleman
Shamika making great eye contact
with Mr. Barry Whitman
Teacher’s Role
In the VE learning environment, the teacher’s role
changes from “sage on the stage” to “guide on
the side.”
The teacher’s responsibility is to guide and direct
student learning, not to deliver a daily prescribed
“lesson.”
Travel
• Travel to different locations for a National
or an International Trade Fair.