This course is a Project Based Learning course (PBL). In this introductory business course, students learn the basics of planning and launching their own successful business. Whether they want to start their own money-making business or create a non-profit to help others, this course helps students develop the core skills they need to be successful. They learn how to develop new business ideas, attract investors, market their business, and manage expenses.

Sottware Requirements

· Microsoft® Windows 7® or higher, or Mac® OS 10.3 Mavericks® or over operating system; 400 MHz or faster processor; 512 MB of memory (RAM); at least 2 GB of hard drive space; Adobe® Reader®; the most current Adobe® Flash® Player

· Microsoft Office or equivalent document, spreadsheet, and presentation software

Projects and Course Content

Marketing to Kids

Students will work in teams to identify and sell a product or service to a specific market. Specifically, students are asked to market a product to children or teens. Teams will develop a marketing plan and present this plan to the class.

Essential Question

How do businesses market to children?

Driving Question

How can we, as entrepreneurs, create and promote a product or service intended for children or teens?

Objectives

· Create and present a marketing plan.

· Define and select target market.

· Define market research.

· Define market share.

· Define the needs a product fulfills.

· Describe successful websites.

· Describe the importance of emotions for promoting a product.

· Describe the importance of monitoring and revising the marketing plan.

· Describe various mediums and costs.

· Determine the appropriate image for advertising a project.

· Develop a marketing budget.

· Explain market penetration strategy.

· Explain the meaning of diverse marketing strategies.

· Identify and explain the five Ps (product, price, promotion, place, and people) of the marketing mix.

· Identify and suggest an appropriate marketing strategy.

· Identify components of a marketing plan.

· Identify components of a marketing plan.

· Identify desire-based and fear-based advertising and marketing.

· Identify factors that affect brand image.

· Identify features and benefits of a product.

· Identify ideas for publicity.

· Identify marketing tools used by companies to achieve marketing goals.

· Identify need for ethics and ethical behavior.

· Identify product-based and service-based businesses.

· Identify promotional objectives.

· Identify the advantages and disadvantages of different types of mediums, such as social, print, TV, radio, and free publicity.

· Identify the product according to customer's need and desire using problem-solving strategy.

· Identify the steps involved in developing a brand's marketing message.

· Identify types of services.

· Identify wants, needs, and motives of audience.

Summer Startup

In teams, students are tasked with coming up with a new business that could be started over the summer as an entry into a competition on the fictional reality show What’s the Big Idea. They should first observe their environment to come up with some ideas for a new business. Then, they will conduct research into the market in order to analyze the opportunity and then use the results of that research to further refine their product or service. Next, students will develop a business plan that they can present to a local business owner or entrepreneur for feedback.

Essential Question

Can teenagers be entrepreneurs?

Driving Question

How can we, as entrepreneurs, create a business that helps me earn money while also providing services and products people value?

· Answer some of the questions that help in defining the purpose of a company.

· Create a business plan.

· Define and select target market.

· Define business ethics.

· Define effective research.

· Define market positioning.

· Define market research.

· Define market segment.

· Define market share.

· Define marketing goals and strategies.

· Define marketing plan.

· Define outbound and inbound marketing.

· Define the needs a product fulfills.

· Define value chain.

· Describe a feasibility study.

· Describe changes and trends as a source of new unique business ideas and opportunities.

· Describe how to increase market share.

· Describe sample DBA (doing business as) that outlines the division of assets, rights, and responsibilities of each owner.

· Describe successful websites.

· Describe SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats).

· Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the four legal business structures in the United States.

· Describe the importance of emotions for promoting a product.

· Describe the importance of monitoring and revising the marketing plan.

· Describe various mediums and costs.

· Determine the appropriate image for advertising a project.

· Develop a marketing budget.

· Differentiate between a business idea and a business opportunity.

· Distinguish between consumers and producers.

· Distinguish between products and services.

· Explain market penetration strategy.

· Explain the meaning of diverse marketing strategies.

· Identify advantages and disadvantages of different types of mediums, such as social, print, tv, radio, and free publicity.

· Identify and explain the five Ps (product, price, promotion, place, and people) of the marketing mix.

· Identify and suggest an appropriate marketing strategy.

· Identify appropriate motivational strategies.

· Identify conflicts of interest and examples of unethical business practices.

· Identify creative ways to generate business ideas.

· Identify current publications and websites available to assist with determining what type of business to start.

· Identify desire-based and fear-based advertising and marketing.

· Identify different types of changes, trends, and feasibility for new business ideas.

· Identify different types of resources that aid in deciding the type of business to start.

· Identify factors that contribute to small business success.

· Identify features and benefits of a product.

· Identify how to critique the effectiveness of plan.

· Identify ideas for publicity.

· Identify marketing tools used by companies to achieve marketing goals.

· Identify need for ethics and ethical behavior.

· Identify product-based and service-based businesses.

· Identify reasons for creating a business plan.

· Identify scope of business.

· Identify the characteristics of a good business idea.

· Identify the different types of records maintained by an organization.

· Identify the factors that affect purchasing decisions and vendor selection.

· Identify the factors that are considered in a promotional message.

· Identify the factors that determine the choice of products and services for a company.

· Identify the four legal business structures in the United States.

· Identify the four parts of a business, including production, finance, marketing, and customer service.

· Identify the importance and reasons for limiting the scope of a company.

· Identify the product according to customer's need and desire using problem-solving strategy.

· Identify the purpose of franchising.

· Identify the reasons that are important for defining the purpose and goals of a company.

· Identify the reasons to get a DBA (doing business as) name for a company.

· Identify the right type of business structure for a company.

· Identify the role of the entrepreneur in promoting ethical business practices.

· Identify the six different stages of a business, including identify, plan, start, operate, improve, and exit.

· Identify the steps involved in developing brand's marketing message.

· Identify the types of businesses that may require personal liability protection from company/owners.

· Identify the unique abilities, interest, and experiences of an individual and the type of business they coincide with.

· Identify the ways to control inventory in an organization to maximize profit.

· Identify types of individual differences that are advantageous to a business idea.

· Identify types of promotional methods.

· Identify units of sale for different types of businesses.

· Identify wants, needs, and motives of audience.

· Identify ways to obtain business supplies and equipment.

Plastics in the Ocean

In teams, students come up with a product or service that they feel will solve the problem of plastics debris in the ocean. They will first conduct some research into this problem, then research the market so that they can better analyze this opportunity. Finally, students will conduct a feasibility study on their business idea.

Essential Question

This project is designed to help students reflect on the following essential question: How can entrepreneurs help the environment?

Driving Question

To be successful, students must address the following driving question in their project: How can we, as entrepreneurs, create a product that is a feasible solution to an environmental problem?

Objectives

· Answer some of the questions that help in defining the purpose of a company.

· Create a mission statement to define the company.

· Define and identify economic utility, including form, place, time, possession, and information utility.

· Define business ethics.

· Define economies and diseconomies of scale.

· Define effective research.

· Define supply, demand, and scarcity.

· Define the scope of a company with respect to the range or variety of products and services it offers.

· Describe how individual abilities, interests, and experiences impact a business.

· Identify causes and impact of scarcity.

· Identify conflicts of interest and examples of unethical business practices.

· Identify creative ways to generate business ideas.

· Identify different types of changes, trends, and feasibility for new business ideas.

· Identify economic conditions.

· Identify factors that contribute to small business failure.

· Identify factors that contribute to small business success.

· Identify global opportunities for small businesses.

· Identify how land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship combine as factors of production.

· Identify how the law of supply and demand works.

· Identify how to critique the effectiveness of a plan.

· Identify industry laws and regulations.

· Identify national and international fluctuations.

· Identify need for ethics and ethical behavior.

· Identify product mix.

· Identify social responsibilities and the environmental and legal issues involved in ethical business choices.

· Identify stages of production and delivery by reading the entrepreneurial experiences of a peer.

· Identify the characteristics of a good business idea.

· Identify the importance and reasons for limiting the scope of a company.

· Identify the reasons that are important for defining the purpose and goals of a company.

· Identify the stages of the product life cycle.

· Identify types of services.

· Identify ways to distribute products and services.

· Recognize ways in which supply and demand affect the price of a good or service.

· Describe a feasibility study.

· Identify different types of changes, trends, and feasibility for new business ideas.