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SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
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COURSE SYLLABUS
Department of Management and Marketing Course Number BA361
Title of course: Small Business Management/New Venture Creation
I.
Revision Spring 2003
Course Description and Credit Hours of Course: This course emphasizes entrepreneurial opportunities, and new-venture processes. It provides an overview of the numerous marketing, managerial and financial activities needed for successful operation of small business firms. (3 Credit hours)
Corequisite(s): Completion or simultaneous enrollment in MG301 and MK301
Purpose or Objectives of the Course:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A. Demonstrate an understanding of the role and importance of small business/entrepreneurial ventures as a vital component in our economy.
B. Locate and assess information concerning the many entrepreneurial opportunities that exist for those persons interested in careers in small business.
C. Demonstrate an understanding of new-venture processes that are of major importance when developing new business/venture ideas.
D. Describe the numerous marketing, managerial, and financial activities of vital importance for the successful operation of small business firms.
Expectations of students:
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B.
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Course Content and Outline
Part I – The Challenges of Entrepreneurship
A.
Regular class attendance
Active participation in classroom and field activities.
Professional attitude
Timely completion of all assignments.
The Foundations of Entrepreneurship
1. The World of the Entrepreneur
2. What Is an Entrepreneur?
3. The Benefits of Entrepreneurship
4. The Potential Drawbacks of Entrepreneurship
5. Behind the Boom: What’s Feeding the Entrepreneurial Fire?
6. The Cultural Diversity of Entrepreneurship
7. The Power of “Small” Business
8. The Nine Deadly Mistakes of Entrepreneurship
9. Putting Failure into Perspective
10. How to Avoid the Pitfalls
Approximate Class Hours
3

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B. Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind: From Ideas to Reality
1. Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
2. Creativity–A Necessity for Survival
3. Creative Thinking
4. Barriers to Creativity
5. How to Enhance Creativity
6. The Creative Process
7. Techniques for Improving the Creative Process
8. Protecting Your Ideas
D.
Part II – Building the Business Plan: Beginning Considerations
C. Strategic Management and the Entrepreneur
1. The Search for a Competitive Advantage
2. The Strategic Management Process
Forms of Business Ownership and Franchising
1. The Sole Proprietorship
2. The Partnership
3. Corporations
4. Other Forms of Ownership
5. Franchising
6. Types of Franchising
7. The Benefits of Buying a Franchise
8. The Drawbacks of Buying a Franchise
9. Franchising and the Law
10. The Right Way to Buy a Franchise
11. Trends Shaping Franchising
Buying an Existing Business
1. Buying an Existing Business
2. The Steps in Acquiring a Business
3. Evaluating an Existing Business
4. Methods for Determining the Value of a Business
5. Understanding the Seller’s Side
6. Negotiating the Deal
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Part III – Building the Business Plan: Marketing and Financial Considerations
F. Building a Powerful Marketing Plan
1. Building a Guerrilla Marketing Plan
2. Determining Customer Needs and Wants Through Market Research
3. Pinpointing the Target Market
4. Plotting a Marketing Strategy: How to Build a Competitive Edge
5. Marketing on the World Wide Web (WWW)
6. The Marketing Mix
Advertising and Pricing for Profit 3
1. Developing an Advertising Plan
2. What is Promotion
3. Selecting Advertising Media
4. Preparing an Advertising Budget
5. How to Advertise Big on a Small Budget
6. Pricing: A Creative Blend of Art and Science
7. Pricing Strategies and Tactics
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8. Two Potent Forces: Image and Competition
9. Pricing Concepts for Retailers
10. Pricing Concepts for Manufacturers
11. Pricing Concepts for Service Firms
12. The Impact of Credit on Pricing
Managing Cash Flow
1. Cash Management
2. Cash and Profits Are Not the Same
3. The Cash Budget
4. Preparing a Cash Budget
5. The “Big Three” of Cash Management
6. Avoiding the Cash Crunch
Creating a Successful Financial Plan
1. Basic Financial Statements
2. Creating Projected Financial Statements
3. Ratio Analysis
4. Interpreting Business Ratios
5. Breakeven Analysis
Crafting a Winning Business Plan 3
1. Why Develop a Business Plan?
2. The Elements of a Business Plan
3. The Benefits of Preparing a Plan
4. Making the Business Plan Presentation
5. What Lenders and Investors Look for in a Business Plan
6. Business Plan Format
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Part IV – Putting the Business Plan to Work: Building a Competitive Edge
K. Sources of Funds: Debt and Equity 3
1. Planning for Capital Needs
2. Equity Capital Versus Debt Capital
3. Sources of Equity Financing
4. The Nature of Debt Financing
5. Federally Sponsored Programs
6. Small Business Administration (SBA)
7. State and Local Loan Development Programs
8. Internal Methods of Financing
Choosing the Right Location and Layout
1. Location: A Source of Competitive Advantage
2. Location Criteria for Retail and Service Businesses
3. Location and Options for Retail and Service Businesses
4. The Location Decision for Manufacturers
5. Layout and Design Consideration
6. Layout: Maximizing Revenues, Increasing Efficiency, and Reducing Cost
7. Build, Buy, or Lease?
Global Aspects of Entrepreneurship 3
1. Why Go Global?
2. Going Global: Strategies for Small Businesses
3. Barriers to International Trade
4. International Trade Agreements
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Leading the Growing Company and Planning for Management Succession
1. Leadership in the New Economy
2. Hiring the Right Employees
3. Building the Right Culture and Structure
4. The Challenge of Motivating Workers
5. Management Succession: Passing the Torch of Leadership
E-Commerce and the Entrepreneur 3
1. Benefits of Selling on the Web
2. Factors to Consider Before Launching into E-Commerce
3. 12 Myths of E-Commerce
4. Approaches to E-Commerce
5. Strategies for E-Success
6. Designing a Killer Web Site
7. Tracking Web Results
8. Ensuring Web Privacy and Security
9. Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Site
Textbook(s) and/or Other Required Materials or Equipment
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A. Zimmerer, Thomas W. and Norman M. Scarborough (2002), Entrepreneurship and Small
Business Management, 3 rd ed. Prentice Hall.
VII. Basis for Student Evaluation:
A. Examinations
B. Quizzes
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Written Cases
Presentations/Projects
Field Trips/Guest Speaker Abstracts
Group Business Development Plan
Readings