West Valley College, Business Division

Business 54 – 3 units

 Small Business Startup and Management
     "Introduction to Entrepreneurship"

 

Instructor:	Heidi Diamond
Office:	“G” in the Business Division
Phone number:	741-2426
E-mail:	heidi_diamond@wvm.edu
Webpage:	http://instruct.westvalley.edu/diamond
Course:	wvmccd.angellearning.com
Dept. Website:	http://westvalley.edu/business/bus_admin_re/

Materials Required:

Text: Small Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Beyond, Hatten, Timothy, (Houghton Mifflin, 4^th  edition)

Course Description:

This course explores the various facets of planning for the opening of a small business and the managing of that business after start up.  It studies the various functions of management as they relate to the small business.  This course is recommended for students who want to explore the opportunities and requirements of creating and managing their own business.

Course Outcomes/Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Know the relationship between small business and entrepreneurship.
• Know how important small businesses are to larger firms and why large firms promote sound small business practices.
• Understand that small business provides most of the new jobs created in the United States .
• Articulate the relationship between ethical business practice and success.
• Understand the elements of a business plan and be able to identify the information required for each element.
• Identify the elements in the marketing mix and know how to blend them to serve the target market.
• Use the computer to understand how decisions made in a simulated business environment affect the business, sales, markets and overall financial outcome.
• Use the computer to calculate necessary ratios and financial statement.

Course Outline:

Week:	Chapters:	Topics:
1	1-2	Small Business Overview Management, Entrepreneurship & Ownership
2	3-4	Social Responsibility, Ethics, Strategic Planning The Business Plan
3	5	Franchising
4	6	Taking Over an Existing Business
5		Test Review: Test 1 (Chapters 1 – 6)
6	7	Starting a New Business
7	8	Accounting and Finance
8	9-10	Small Business Finance The Legal Environment
9	11-12	Small Business Marketing: Strategy & Research Small Business Marketing: Product
10		Test Review:  Test 2 (Chapters 7 – 12)
11	13-14	Small Business Marketing: Place Small Business Marketing: Price & Promotion
12	15-16	International Small Business Professional Small Business Management
13	17-18	Human Resource Management Operations Management
14		Business Plan Presentations
15		Business Plan Presentations
16		Test Review: Test 3 (Chapters 13 – 18)

Class Requirements:

• Attendance is essential.  Attendance, class participation and a portfolio of cases count towards 20 percent of the final course grade.  Students may call or e-mail the instructor regarding missed classes and work.  Students may also go to http://wvmccd.angellearning.com to get class notes and assignments and to send class e-mails.
• There will be three tests.  It is your responsibility to let me know if you are going to be absent on a testing day.  Make up testing will be handled on a case by case basis.
• There will be a group project to create and present a Business Plan. The Plan will be developed in progressive steps throughout the semester.
• There will be extra credit opportunities.

Policy Statements:

• West Valley College makes reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities.  Students should notify the Disability and Educational Support Program (DESP) at 741-2010 regarding special needs.
• If you have a complaint, or someone has shared information with you as a student  that is unlawful discrimination or sexual harassment, contact the Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at the West Valley Mission College District Office at 741-2060.
• The College’s policy on academic dishonesty covers in-class cheating, out-of-class cheating, plagiarism, and furnishing false information.  Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of ideas from published or unpublished works as a student’s own work for a grade in a class.  (WVC catalog)

Office Hours:

• Office hours are offered so that you may have additional time to meet with your Instructor to discuss class projects, papers and Internet assignments.
• My office hours are posted on my office door “G”.
• To schedule an appointment at a time other then those listed, please contact me at 741-2426 or heidi_diamond@wvm.edu.

Grading	Letter Grade or Credit/No Credit Option
Attendance, class participation	10 percent
Homework assignments	10 percent
Test 1	20 percent
Test 2	20 percent
Test 3	20 percent
Business Plan Project	20 percent

Updated: May 26, 2008