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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Course Title: Department: Instructor: Fax:

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Business William Flood, M.Ed. E-mail Vita (707) 982-2852

Textbook: Online Bookstore
Annual Editions: Entrepreneurship. Price, Robert W. (Ed). (1999). Guilford, CT:Dushkin McGraw-Hill. ISBN #: 0072904747
The Entrepreneur's Fieldbook. Vinturella, John B. (1999). Upper Saddle River, NJ:Prentice Hall. ISBN #: 0130812196

Course Description
This course is for those individuals who wish to learn the principles and processes of small business and entrepreneurship. It is designed for individuals interested in starting a new business venture, acquiring an existing business, or working in industries that serve entrepreneurs. The course provides an overview of the many principles and processes of entrepreneurship and small business management. Topics of the course will include:

• Identifying the characteristics of entrepreneurs.
• Identifying innovations.
• Conducting a feasibility analysis
• Developing and understanding the uses for a formal business plan.
• Financing, organizing, and operating a new business.

Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course the student should be able to...
1) Assess their potential for a career in entrepreneurship
2) Determine the viability of a new business concept or idea
3) Develop a business plan to facilitate the startup of the business idea or concept
4) Identify and effectively approach main sources of financing for the new venture
5) Communicate the strategic vision for the business and the strategies that will interest customers, as well as investors
6) Develop strategies to achieve a competitive advantage for the firm

Methods: The course will include:
1. Assigned readings
2. Email correspondence with the instructor
3. Message board participation with the instructor and other students. Message board dialogue will include instructor-generated questions and student-to-student interaction
4. Preparing a franchise or business opportunity analysis report
5. Preparing a report concerning a business being sold by an owner or broker
6. Development of a business plan
7. Proficiency examination

Evaluation
1. Franchise report 20%
2. Business resale report 20%
3. Business plan 30%
4. Proficiency examination (cumulative) 30%

A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = 0-59
I = Incomplete work

Student Biography
Once you start the class, send me an informal (this is not graded) biography about yourself, your background, career, etc. Make sure to include your contact information including phone number and email address so that I can contact you if necessary.

Proficiency Examination (final)
The proficiency exam will be a cumulative testing of your knowledge of small business and entrepreneurship. You will be presented with a case study for which you will prepare an abbreviated business plan. The business strategy should be between six (6) and ten (10) pages in length, and profile all of the key decisions an entrepreneur would face given the situation. In essence, the answer should follow the form of a business plan, but can less in-depth. Submit your examination according to the guidelines listed below.

Franchise or Business Opportunity Report
Pick a franchise or business opportunity profiled in the pages of a business opportunity magazine such as Entrepreneur, Success, Inc., or Home Office Computing. Interview the company and request their literature in order to develop a profile of that business. You should consider such things as start-up cost, franchise or licensing fees, overhead, royalties, potential customers, location and office costs, marketing methods, and finally; a determination of whether the business is a good idea or not. Prepare a 3 to 5 page summary of that business. The report should be written so that it presents an overview that could be given to another person of that business, its details, and its strengths and weaknesses.

Business resale report
In this assignment you will contact either an owner of a business for sale, or a business broker with a business for sale that appeals to you. Discuss the business with them as if you were a potential buyer. Get as much information as you can about the cost of the business, its financials, history, and potential growth. Your report should be 3 to 5 pages in length, and should be sufficient for the reader to make a judgment about the merits of buying (or not buying) that company, as well as what would be required if he or she did acquire it.

Submission of Assignments
Because this is a college-level course, make sure to document and reference where you obtain your information. Beyond documentation, you can submit your assignments in any attractive and readable format. Written assignments can be submitted either by email (you can send it as an MS-Word97, ASCII text, or RTF attachment), or by FAX.

Course Outline

Lesson 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Subject Introduction to small business Searching for opportunities Venture feasibility Developing a business plan Financing Start-up Issues Growth Issues Start-up

Chapters Fieldbook Ch.1 Annual Eds. Unit 1 Fieldbook Ch. 2, 5 Annual Eds. Unit 2 Fieldbook Ch. 3, 4 Fieldbook Ch. 6 Annual Eds. Unit 3, 4 Fieldbook Ch. 7 Annual Eds. Unit 5 Fieldbook Ch. 8 Annual Eds. Unit 6 Annual Eds. Unit 7

Assignment Email biography to instructor Business opportunity report due Business 'for sale" report due Business plan due Proficiency exam

Course Related Links

Entrepreneur magazine
Inc. Magazine
Success Magazine
The Small Business Administration