Course Syllabus - Arizona State University



Course Syllabus

BUA441 – Entrepreneurship and Feasibility

3 Credits (16 weeks)

Instructor: Otis J. White

E-mail: otis.white@asu.edu (Please use the class BlackBoard site for communication)

Phone: Office: 480-727-1513

Office Hours: One hour before each class period and by appointment

Room 101L - Wanner Hall

Required texts (2): Leach, J. C., Melicher, R. W., Rogoff, E. (2006) BUS441 Entrepreneurship and Feasibility (custom course text). Thompson/South-Western; Mason, Ohio.

Note: This is a custom text and must be purchased from the ASU Bookstore.

Friedman, T. L. (2005) The World is Flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. Farrar Straus & Giroux; New York.

Note: The book by Friedman can be purchased locally or online for a substantial savings. The ASU Bookstore will have some also.

In addition to the texts above we will be working with data and summary material from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM 2005) published by Babson College and the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. These materials are available free through the Internet. See the “Course Links” section of our class BlackBoard site for Internet connections and more information. Students can either download the entire report or order a hard copy from the Kauffman Foundation.

From the GEM Introduction: “The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) was created in 1997 as a joint research initiative by Babson College and London Business School and strongly supported by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The central aim was to bring together the world’s best scholars in entrepreneurship to study the complex

relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth. From the outset, the project was designed to be a long-term, multinational enterprise.” (2000)

“The GEM 2004 study clearly shows that a large number of people are engaged in entrepreneurial

endeavors around the globe. Based on this year’s sample of 34 countries representing a total labor

force of 566 million, GEM research estimates that 73 million adults are either starting a new business or managing a young business of which they are also an owner. Total entrepreneurial activity varied from a low of 1.5 percent to a high of 40 percent of adults 18 to 64 years of age. The average level of entrepreneurial activity was 9.3 percent (one adult in eleven). The GEM study also shows that entrepreneurial activity varies significantly by geographic region, types of business, and entrepreneurial motivation.” (2004) We will be covering the research findings from the GEM 2005 Report in depth to gain an international picture of the entrepreneurial community and its economic dynamics.

ASU Course Description: Assessment of the opportunities, risks, and challenges associated with business start-up and continued operation. Prerequisites: completion of 100 hours; professional program business student. Pre- or co-requisite: completion of all Business Administration core requirements.

Course Objectives:

1. Identify business applications and problem situations inherent to starting a small business.

2. Identify entrepreneurial roadblocks and stepping stones for the business person who wants to own their own company.

3. Conduct feasibility assessments of business ventures.

4. Develop an understanding of the role of small business and entrepreneurship in the larger world of international commerce.

5. Prepare two essays on entrepreneurship and the implications it has on a person’s life and the community in general.

6. Work with a team to develop a complete business plan for a start up business.

7. Develop and present an oral presentation of a group business plan as you would to a prospective investor or lender. Write an individual Executive Summary of the business plan (individual writing project).

8. Introduce students to successful entrepreneurs and individuals from the small business community.

All of the assignments above will require the gathering, interpretation, and evaluation of evidence regarding starting a business and the concepts of entrepreneurship as a vital role in commerce. Each business plan assignment will have two phases: A first draft, and a final submission. Some of the written essays could also have a peer review component.

Instructor’s goals for this course: My goal is to provide students with a learning environment where they can achieve an in-depth understanding of entrepreneurship and the Small Business environment in order to help them be competitive participants in the arena of free commerce. This course will introduce you to many methodologies employed by entrepreneurs in the area of management, planning, organizing, and leading including, but not limited to, the following:

Entrepreneurial Psychology Business Structure & Organization Market Analysis

Business Plan Writing Evaluation of Risk Presentation Skills

In the years to come, statistics tell me that over 60% of you will decide to start your own businesses. Those same sources tell me that 80% will fail for one reason or the other in the first try. This capstone course is designed to help you pull together all of the important learning you have accomplished in the past few years into a coherent and actionable business plan. Having this experience goes a long way in helping you decide what kind of risk you want to take and how to beat the odds in starting and successfully running a business. Billions of dollars in resources are wasted each year by new business people who simply did not know how to go about planning and starting a viable business. I am hopeful each of you will avoid that pit fall.

Method of Instruction: This course will include lecture, in class group exercises, group discussion and outside of class research/business planning assignments. In addition we will host presentations from a number of business professionals from the Valley of the Sun business community.

Students are expected to fully prepare and participate in class exercises and contribute their knowledge and perspective to the course. Groups of 5 people or so will be formed to facilitate the preparation of the final business plan presentation but students are encouraged to use these groups as a “study group” as well as assignment groups. There will be at least 4 hours of outside homework for each day of class. The final “exam” will be the presentation of group business plans.

Specific Expectations and Requirements for Course:

Evaluation Criteria: Attendance and completion of coursework is required. A numerical score derived from completion and grading of the following assignments will determine the final grade. The breakdown of the percentages is shown below:

Homework essays and research (general/approx. 10) 30 %

Written Entrepreneurship Assignments (5 Essays) 30 %

Written Group Business Plan 15 %

Business plan Presentation 10 %

Individual Business Plan Summary 5 %

Participation and group support 10 %

Total 100 %

This course will use the +/- grading system including the A+ designation.

(Note: There are no exams for this course. This is a writing based course

where most of the grade will come from the written work of the students.)

Homework Grading: Homework will be graded on a 1 to 10 scale reflecting a students effort in answering the problems presented, providing accurate answers and neatness. A wrong answer on a homework assignment does not necessarily mean the student will lose points for the effort made. Some of the homework problems are mathematical and errors can unwittingly occur. Work to understand the problem presented and what solution is appropriate to solve the problem first; then work any math. This course is about critical thinking about problems and the application of fairly simple business formulas and concepts. The real effort should be made in analyzing what the problem presented is and what the questions are that need to be asked.

Entrepreneurship Assignments: These assignments will consist of five 1500 to 2000 word essays about entrepreneurial topics related to this class. They will include gathering, interpretation, and evaluation of evidence as well as some creative thinking. My expectations include citing of all sources and phrases used (either APA or MLA), a reference page, and a clear construction of the paper as a whole. This will include a statement of the problem to be covered, the relevant current thinking on the subject, new evidence and ideas from the writer, and supporting evidence for this position. A concise summary will finish the work.

Group Business Plan: A completed business plan for a small business will be required for this course. The plan will include a section describing the business (products and services), a description of the current state of the industry (including competitive entities), a SWOT analysis for the new business, financials (including cash flows, proforma balance sheets and income statements, and financing requirements), a section on why this business is different or unique, and a summary of the venture and the future the group sees for it. These plans will be presented orally to the class during the last two weeks of the session. Each presentation will last 15 – 20 minutes and all group members should participate. We will work on the outline for this assignment in class and plan together how this assignment will develop.

Individual Business Plan Summary: Each student will prepare a summary of the business plan and submit it as a separate assignment from the group. Students may draw from the original plan but must make this an individual effort and I expect to see all work done in each student’s own writing style. An outline of what I will be looking for in this summary will be handed out in class later in the semester.

General Expectations and Requirements for Course:

Punctual attendance is required for this class. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. Regular attendance is very important since much of what is discussed in the course will come from sources other than the text. This material will make up a substantial part of the learning expectation in the course. Please treat this course as you would a business meeting and be on time and prepared for the night’s work. Punctual attendance is part of the overall grade for the class (10%) and can add to or take away from your final grade. It is my experience that students who are chronically late will receive one letter grade less than they might have earned. Students who miss classes entirely face the possibility of failure in the course.

Class preparation is critical, as much of the class time will be spent discussing chapter topics and related material. Students will be called on regularly to participate in class and add to discussions. My experience is that students who are not prepared for each class will do poorly in class group exercises and thus in their assignments, lowering their final grades.

Class withdrawals will be handled per the ASU rules and guidelines. Absence policies of Arizona State University will be followed as well. See your general catalogue for these guidelines. As a general rule I will give a “W” grade to any student who finds they must drop the class anytime during the semester and who has made an effort to attend class regularly and complete assignments but for some reason is struggling. Students are responsible for contacting the college and withdrawing from class. Failure to file an official withdrawal form may result in failing grade on your record. This can really louse up your GPA.

Late assignments will not be accepted.

Special needs students should contact me immediately. Help is available in many forms and across many special needs at ASU. As your instructor I fully support your use of these resources and will help all I can to make them available to you. I welcome all forms of diversity in my classes including learning or physical disabilities. The ASU Disability Resource Center in the Office of Student Life can be reached at asu.edu/drs or by land line at 480-965-1234 (V) and 480-965-9000 (TTY).

Honesty and integrity are expected from each and every student. Any form of dishonesty, cheating, fabrication, the facilitation of academic dishonesty or plagiarism may make you subject to disciplinary action. This includes copying of other student’s data or work files turned in as your own work. Disciplinary action can include a failing grade on a paper or for the class, dismissal from class, and/or dismissal from the college. Please refer to the Student Academic Integrity Policy at asu.edu/studentlife/judicial/integrity.html regarding student rights, responsibilities and obligations.

Plagiarism is presenting the work of another as one's own, no matter what the source. More than four consecutive words or any complete thought from a source other than the writer constitutes plagiarism when the source is not clearly identified in appropriate documentation/citation format. Each student is required to complete his/her own work and to properly cite the work of others.

Transmitting, storing, or receiving data, or otherwise using computer resources in a manner that would constitute a violation of state or federal law, including (but not limited to) obscenity, defamation, threats, harassment, and theft will be considered an honor offence.

Sexual Harassment: The policy of Arizona State University is to provide an educational, employment and business environment free of unwelcome sexual harassment as defined and otherwise prohibited by state, local and federal law. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including suspension or expulsion for students. I expect all students to treat each other with respect and dignity and listen to all points of view whether you agree with them or not.

Crime Reports & Awareness: Any suspected crime should be reported as soon as discovered to the Campus Safety Office.

Interruptions & Disruptions: Some things do interrupt and can disrupt teaching and learning. Please avoid absences, late arrivals to and early departures from class, incomplete or late work. Pagers, beepers, cellular phones, etc. should always be on silent mode during class. Notebook computers must be kept closed during class.

This syllabus is a class guide only and may be changed at any time to meet course, student or instructor needs. Changes in the syllabus will be announced in class. Unless changes have been announced this syllabus should be used as the student’s central guide to class assignments and topics of discussion for each class.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download