BUS 250 – Small Business Management
Spring Semester 2012
Heartland Community College
Days: Tuesdays
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00PM
Classroom: ICN 1003
Instructor: Mr. Aaron Hurley, MBA
E-mail: aaron.hurley@heartland.edu
Office Hours: Before/After Class or by appointment
Credit Hours: 3
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course focuses on the formation, development, and growth of small businesses and the related
applications to develop strategic durable competitive advantages in a local and global marketplace. This
course will focus on marketing, product development and pricing, financial management,
entrepreneurship, and much more. PREQ: BUSINESS 110
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
Katz, J. Green, R. (2010). Entrepreneurial Small Business, 9th Edition. McGraw-Hill 2011
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
This course will utilize a variety of active and participative learning methods, such as discussions, papers,
projects, presentations, and blackboard forums. Students will have the opportunity to learn through
talking, listening, writing, reading, thinking, and reflecting on an individual and group basis.
GRADING POLICY/SCALE
Grading is based on:
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
7.
Percentage
15%
10%
20%
20%
20%
15%
Requirements
Group Project – Business Plan
Group Project – Presentation
Exam one
Exam two
Exam three (Final Comprehensive Exam)
Participation (Class attendance and Blackboard participation)
Total Possible Points
Points
150
100
200
200
200
150
1000
GRADING SCALE
A=
90% - 100%
B=
80 - 89 %
C=
70 - 79 %
D=
60 - 69 %
F=
59 % and below
COMMUNICATION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR
The most effective method to communicate with the instructor outside of the classroom is by email to
schedule an appointment or to ask relevant questions regarding assignments, tests, etc. When emailing
me to schedule an appointment or to have a question answered, please allow ample time for me to answer
your email; in other words, do not wait until the last minute to contact me.
BUS 250 Spring 2012
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ATTENDANCE POLICY AND PARTICIPATION
All students are required to attend each class. Absences will not be excused unless the instructor has been
notified in advance or in the case of a medical or family emergency. The learning experience in this class
depends on your participation and active contributions to class as well as online participation in classroom
discussions. This segment will comprise 15 percent of your grade. Daily attendance will be recorded at
the start of class. Your participation will be evaluated based on the following:





You are present, seated, and ready at the time class begins.
You are prepared for class.
You answer questions, offer meaningful questions, and discuss issues related to the lectures,
problems, and presentations.
You contribute on-time, well thought out responses through our Blackboard Discussion
You carefully listen to others and respect their viewpoints.
MAKEUP /LATEWORK POLICY
NO MAKE-UP EXAMS OR QUIZZES WILL BE GIVEN. You must take the exams and quizzes on the
specified date and time. Make-up exams will be given only under special circumstances and at the
discretion of the instructor. Late work may be accepted at the discretion of the instructor and a 10 percent
penalty will be exercised for every day that the assignment is late.
MINIMUM WRITING REQUIREMENT
At a minimum, ten pages of written work must be submitted for each student between individual paper,
group paper, test essays, and so forth.
COURSE CALENDAR
The course calendar is to help you prepare for class and complete assignments within the due date. If you
miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain the missed information or handouts from a fellow student
or by email to the instructor. It is your responsibility to follow the calendar and to know what assignments
are due and the correct date(s). Dates on the syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the
instructor and notice will be given in class if/when changes are made.
EXAMS
There will be three exams for the semester. Each exam will cover all course assignments, including the
textbook, lectures, handouts, homework problems, and class discussions. The final exam will be
comprehensive. Students are not allowed to utilize any electronic device during an exam (cell phone,
laptop computer, iPod, PDA, mini-computer, CD player, MP3 player, or anything else not cleared in
advance as needed) will be presumed to be using them for cheating and will fail the exam.
CLASSROOM CONDUCT
You are expected to show respect to the instructor and to fellow students, while acting maturely and
appropriately as future business professionals. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Disruptive
behavior can be classified as: foul or inappropriate language, excessive talking, class disruptions, or
verbal threats of any type. Only behaviors consistent with real-life business settings will be encouraged
to prepare you for the business world.
TARDINESS
If you are consistently late to class, the instructor reserves the right to lock you out of the classroom. You
will not be allowed to attend that class session. For excessive tardiness, the instructor reserves the right to
lower a student’s grade.
CLASSROOM GENERAL POLICIES
All cell phones must be put on silent prior to starting each class.
BUS 250 Spring 2012
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No use of any electronic devices in class other than approved calculators
No unauthorized surfing the Internet, talking, or texting while in class
No reading of newspapers or textbooks from other courses.
No sleeping or napping (if you are ill, inform the instructor)
No smoking or use of tobacco is allowed while in the classroom.
Only bottled water with a lid is allowed in the classroom.
PLAGURISM AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating or aiding or suborning cheating
or other acts of academic dishonesty, plagiarism, misrepresentation of data in oral or written form.
Plagiarizing or cheating will not be tolerated. All students are expected to do their own work. You are
expected to properly document quoted or paraphrased material.
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INSTRUCTOR AND PARENTS
Due to federal regulations, the instructor is not able to communicate any grade, attendance, or any
information with parents or third parties without written consent of the student through the Admissions
Office. Instructor will not communicate grade information through email to students and will only post
grade information online in a timely manner. Instructor will only communicate with students through
Heartland email accounts and/or over the phone.
BUS 250 Spring 2012
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Course Calendar
Week
Date
1
Tues, January 17th
2
Tues, January 24th
3
Tues, January 31st
4
Tues, February 7th
5
Tues, February 14th
6
Tues, February 21st
7
Tues, February 28th
8
Tues, March 6th
Tues, March 13th
9
Tues, March 20th
10
Tues, March 27th
11
Tues, April 3rd
12
Tues, April 10th
13
Tues, April 17th
14
Tues, April 24th
15
Tues, May 1st
16
Tues, May 8th
Topic/Activity
Course introduction and The Basics
of Small Business
Small Business Environment:
Managing external relations
Small Business Entrepreneurs:
Characteristics and Competencies
Small Business Ideas: Creativity,
Opportunity and Feasibility
Exam Number One
Small Business Entry: Paths to Part
Time Entrepreneurship
Small Business Entry: Paths to Full
Time Entrepreneurship
Small Business Strategies: Imitation
with a Twist
Spring break – no classes
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Business Plans: Seeing Audiences
and Your Business Clearly
Small Business Marketing: Product
and Pricing Strategies
Small Business Promotion:
Capturing the Eyes of your Market
Exam Number Two
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Exam Number Two
Small Business Distribution and
Location
Marketing Plans: Saying How You’ll
Get Sales
Small Business Accounting:
Projecting and Evaluating
Performance
Cash: Lifeblood of the business
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Business Plan due
Chapter 14
Business Plan Presentation
Exam Number Three
Comprehensive Final Exam
BUS 250 Spring 2012
Chapter
Covered/Assignments
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Exam Number One
4