MIRACOSTA COLLEGE

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

BUSINESS 130 – SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

 

 

FACULTY INFORMATION

Professor Christina Hata

Office: Room 4810, Oceanside Campus

Tel: (760) 757-2121 ext. 6399

Fax: (760) 795-6770

Email: chata@miracosta.edu

 

 

TEXT

1.                  Small Business Management: An Entrepreneurial Emphasis – Longenecker, Moore, Petty, Palich, Thompson Southwestern Publishing, 14th edition

ISBN 0-324-57882-2

2.                  Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster -  Krakauer, Jon (1999)

ISBN 0-385-49478-5

3.                  Various articles as assigned

 

 

 

DAYS AND TIME       Mondays 6:00PM – 9:30PM                           

                                    Office Hours: Tuesdays/Wednesdays 12:30 – 1:00PM, Thursdays 3:00-4:00PM

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to introduce students to the professional management of small to medium sized businesses.  All aspects of opening and running a small business will be addressed.  Issues such as start-up decisions, financing, marketing, human resource management, operations, administration and strategic planning will be addressed.  Students will learn how to analyze business problems and create the startup documentation needed to obtain financing.   

 

COURSE OUTCOMES:

 

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to do the following:

 

1.                  Demonstrate knowledge of major principles, theories, and terminology of small business management.

2.                  Display a working knowledge of operations and management of small business through the study of small business case studies. 

3.                  Articulate the advantages and disadvantages of owning a small business and the role of small business in our society.

4.                  Analyze the business performance of small firms and the various types of firms that attract entrepreneurs.

5.                  Prepare written and oral reports on diverse topics including: market assessment, strategic planning, location planning, and human resource planning.

6.                  Develop a business plan for a proposed or existing business.

 

COURSE PHILOSOPHY

Together the students and instructor in this course will be creating a learning community.  All members of this community are responsible for ensuring that learning takes place.  Thus, preparation and contribution to discussion are very important.  Students are expected to complete the assigned reading and preparatory assignments, contribute meaningfully and substantively in class, and complete and submit all assignments by their due dates.  The nature of the learning activities includes lecture, in-class discussion, homework, small group activities, and short writing assignments at the start of each session.

 

ACTIVITIES/ ASSIGNMENTS

 

Attendance and participation points will be determined as follows:  You will be awarded 100 points based on your percentage of attendance. There are 35 class meetings, which I exclude the first meeting due to late enrollment and the last two for grade processing. Then, you will be given two dropped class meetings. This leaves us with 30 class meetings. Here is an example:  You attend 26 out of the 35 class meetings; because 5 are dropped your attendance grade will be 26/30 = 86.7%. There are no specific points for participation, but from my experience as an instructor, if you are coming to class regularly and doing the homework, you will be able to participate.

 

BUSINESS PLAN

The Business Plan is a written document that describes a business, its strategies, finances, objectives, and financial forecast.  In short, it is a business owner’s recipe for success.  Appendix A of the textbook contains a sample Business Plan.   This semester students will develop a business plan that contains all of the following required components: the Executive Summary, Financial Plan, Management Plan, Marketing Plan, and Strategic Plan.  Because most students do not have an accounting background there is no expectation of accurate pro forma information; however, students must attempt to complete the Financial Plan section of their Business Plan.  This project should be between 10 and 15 pages in length, typed and double-spaced.  This is a college level assignment and I will grade for spelling and grammar. 

 

CASE ANALYSIS

There are four assigned cases; students are required to read and respond to each case assigned.  Points will be assigned for quality, not necessarily quantity.  Your answers should be thoughtful, concise, and well-written. 

 

HOMEWORK

Homework will be assigned five times throughout the semester.  Homework assignments may include, but are not limited to the following:  short (2 pages) reaction papers, business problem diagnosis and recommendations, and short projects. 

 

GREEN BUSINESS PROJECT

Arguably, the most significant trend in business in 2008 will be that business must respond to a growing consumer movement that demands products and services not harm the earth.  In this project, you will research and propose a green business opportunity.  Your proposal will include a 3-page paper that supports the sustainability of the business idea.  In addition the paper, you will also prepare a poster and a 1-minute speech to “pitch” your idea to the class.

 

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT

MiraCosta’s Service Learning program provides you with the opportunity to learn about business while giving back to your community.  This class has a service-learning requirement, because, as future business people, one of your most important obligations to your community will be to give back.  The project you pick is completely up to you.  When you complete your work, you will turn in to me a 3-page paper describing what you learned and how you will be a socially responsible entrepreneur.

 

MOST ADMIRED COMPANY

Your team will design an informative and attractive poster that will appeal to others in the class and will tell them something interesting or useful, or both, about a company that you admire.  A good poster is informative, visually attractive and accompanied by presenter who is professional in appearance and demeanor and can readily converse with participants. 

 

INTO THIN AIR

For this project, you will be reading John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air.   After reading the book, you will debate the managerial talents of your team’s leader.  This book addresses many areas that we discuss in the study of management.  In addition to the debate, you will turn in a 2-page paper in which you choose one of the managerial themes addressed in the book and discuss what you learned about that theme from reading the book. 

 

EXAMINATIONS

There will be four examinations with each worth 100 points.  Your lowest exam grade will be dropped (except for Final).  If you miss an exam, this will be your dropped grade.  If two exams are missed, the second missed exam will be given a zero as there will be no make-up exams (no exceptions).  The final must be taken to complete the class. If class participation or homework is the lowest grade, this can be your dropped grade. Final exam, the business plan and the cases cannot be a dropped grade.

 

COURSE EVALUATION

Green Business Project                                 175 points                  

Service Learning                                             100 points      

Most Admired Company                                 100 points

Into Thin Air                                                     100 points

Case Analysis (4 @ 20 each)                           80 points

Class Attendance and Participation               100 points

Field Trips                                                         50 points

Homework (5 @ 20 each)                              100 points

Business Plan                                                 200 points

                                                                        1080 total points possible

 

 

GRADING SCALE

Grade

Percentage of total points possible

Points needed

A

90 – 100

702 – 780

B

80 – 89

624 – 701

C

70 – 79

546 – 623

D

60 – 69

468 – 545

F

0 – 59

0 – 467

 

LATE WORK ACCEPTANCE POLICY

Late work is not accepted.  If you cannot attend class please make accommodations to turn in your homework to me via email, fax, through a classmate, dropped in my box at the administration office, or some other method.  I absolutely understand that sometimes things happen to inhibit your ability to make it to class (work, personal matters, etc).  However, this course is a business course and is designed in part to prepare you for the business world, where deadlines simply cannot be missed!

 

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Verified Disability:                           

A student with a verified disability may be entitled to appropriate academic accommodations. Please contact me and/or the Disabled Students Program & Services Office at (760) 795-6658, or the office of the ADA Coordinator at (760) 795-6866.

Important Dates and Drop Information:

·         September 6, 2008 (Saturday): Last day to ADD classes.

·         September 6, 2008 (Saturday); Last day to DROP classes with no grade and no “W”.

·         September 26, 2008 (Friday): Last day to file Petition for Degree/Certificate and to file for Credit/No Credit; Consider this option if you do not need a letter grade.

·         November 20, 2008 (Thursday): Last day to Drop class with “W” grade; Drops after that receive a letter grade (generally an “F”); If you discover this course is not for you, make sure to drop by this date.

  • Students are responsible to complete all necessary paperwork if they decide to withdraw from class. The Instructor must take strong steps to insure all students are “attending” and active. Therefore, the Instructor retains discretion to process a Withdrawal (Drop) for  students WITHOUT ADDITIONAL NOTICE for ANY of the following (unless discussed with Instructor and approved in advance):

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Each student is responsible for performing academic tasks in such a way that honesty is not in question.  Unless an exception is specifically defined by an instructor, students are expected to maintain the following standards of integrity:

·         All tests, term papers, oral and written assignments, recitations, and all other academic efforts are to be the work of the student presenting the material.

  • Any use of wording, ideas, or findings of other persons, writers, or researchers requires the explicit citation of the source; use of the exact wording requires a “quotation" format.

Plagiarism and Ethics Policy:

Each student agrees to the following statements of student behavior:

  • I agree that I, and only I, will be the one completing and submitting class materials (homework, quizzes, exams, written projects, etc.) in my name.
  • I agree that I will not directly copy or plagiarize material from books, publications, the Internet, other students’ work, or any other source. I am familiar with, and I agree not to violate, copyright laws. If small amounts of material from other sources are used as part of any class assignment, I agree to clearly indicate such and properly cite the source.
  • I agree that, unless approved by the instructor, I will not share answers to homework assignments, quizzes, exams, or any other course material with fellow classmates.
  • I acknowledge that failure to comply with any of the above statements may result in failure of an assignment, removal from the course, failure in the course, and discipline action deemed appropriate by the instructor in his sole discretion and/or policies and procedures set forth by the Board of Trustees of the MiraCosta Community College District, fully described in the College Catalog.

 

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

All students are expected to be present, to be prepared, and to contribute actively to discussion in ways that enrich the quality of learning for all.  Reading and project/written assignments specified on the course calendar are to be completed prior to the designated class meetings.  Written assignments and projects are due on the dates shown; none will be accepted late.

 

We have a contract as joint participants in the course:  we are responsible for coming together as prepared professionals, with ownership of our time and a stake in ensuring that it is spent in ways that are valuable to us both individually and as a group. 

 

EXPECTATIONS OF FACULTY

To be prepared for every class; to return student papers promptly, with appropriate feedback; to be available, by appointment, to meet with students; to be frequently responsive to email messages; to hold high standards for all of us.  Faculty and students together are responsible for creating and sustaining a safe environment that facilitates learning, openness, personal growth, and mutual trust and respect. The faculty is committed to the success of each student.

 

TUTORING AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT CENTER

TASC offers free tutoring for this course (and others) at the HUB.  For more information call (760) 944-7748 ext. 7748 or just drop by the HUB. I urge you to take advantage of this valuable resource.

 

THE WRITING CENTER

The Writing Center offers assistance with any writing assignment.  It has been my experience that writing skills are a critical component of success in the workplace.  Develop good skills now! You can drop in for a 15 minute consultation or make an appointment for one-on-one help.  Like the TASC, the Writing Center is located in the HUB. For more information call (760) 795-6682. These people are here to help you – take advantage!  

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

 

Changes to this syllabus may be made at the discretion of faculty.

 

The assignment schedule is tentative and subject to change.  Students are responsible for any schedule/assignment changes announced in class.

 

Note for Online Coursework: Some hours of in-class instruction will be substituted with equivalent online activities.

 

 

BUS130: SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Meeting Number

Date

Chapter

Topic

Assignment Due

2

 

1

Entrepreneurial Opportunities

 

3

 

3

Starting a Business

 

4

 

4/5

Buying/ Franchising

 

5

 

2

Ethics

HW#1 Source List

6

 

6

The Business Plan

 

7

 

8

Human Resources

HW#2 Personal Values

8

 

18

Professional Management

C#1 The Business Plan Competition

9

 

 

Into Thin Air   

 

10

 

19

Managing People

 

11

 

7

Marketing

C#2 To Be Determined

12

 

 

Into Thin Air

 

13

 

13

Customer Relations

 

14

 

16

Promotions

HW#3 Customer Relationship Strategy

15

 

 

Into Thin Air

 

16

 

17

Global Marketing

C#3 Chipotle

17

 

 

Into Thin Air

 

18

 

9

Location

C#4 Nike

19

 

14

Supply Chaining

 

20

 

 

Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air Debate

21

 

20

Operations Management

 

22

 

21

Risk Management

 

23

 

 

Operations Management

 

24

 

 

Green Business

Into Thin Air Paper

25

 

 

Green Business

 

26

 

10, 11, 15

Finance/ Accounting

Nike Case Due

27

 

10, 11, 15

Finance/ Accounting

 

28

 

10, 11, 15

Finance/ Accounting