This course is a Project Based Learning course (PBL). Students build on the business concepts they learned in Entrepreneurship I. Students continue to explore the different functions of business, while refining their technology and communication skills in speaking, writing, networking, negotiating, and listening. The purpose of this course is to prepare students to launch a small business venture.

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

Is the Price Right?

For this project, students will work as a team to plan an event that promotes local businesses or artists in their community. As part of this process, they will reflect on the costs associated with holding this event, calculate the break-even point, think about how to price tickets and other event products to meet their financial goals, and reflect on how they will motivate salespeople to help them.

Essential Question

How do businesses determine price and integrate it into their marketing plan?

Driving Question

How can we, as entrepreneurs, use market research to price and advertise an event in such a way that maximizes both profit and customer satisfaction?

· Describe the concept of marketing and sales.

· Describe the positioning of a product.

· Identify marketing metrics.

· Define social and multi-level marketing.

· Identify various sales strategies for different types of products and services.

· Describe telemarketing as a sales tool.

· Describe the features and benefits of selling via internet.

· Identify sales opportunities at flea markets, fairs, and trade shows.

· Identify marketing functions needed for successful business.

· Describe sales quota.

· Identify the factors to be considered while setting a selling price.

· Identify how to select vendors.

· Define and identify variable costs.

· Define and identify fixed costs.

· Define minimum selling price and break-even point.

· Define overhead, operating costs.

· Identify cost control strategies.

· Calculate break-even point.

· Calculate total cost per unit.

· Calculate the sales and cost per unit when the company sells a variety of products at different prices.

· Identify the external pricing factors that can help in setting selling price.

· Define pricing incentives.

· Calculate cost-based markup.

· Identify and evaluate different types of pricing strategies.

· Identify psychological factors in pricing.

· Identify the steps involved in completing a sale.

· Identify the selling proposition.

· Identify various sales strategies for different types of products and services.

· Identify psychological factors in pricing.

· Explain the concept of sales commission.

· Describe what sets products apart.

· Identify different types of marketing and sales structure.

· Describe how to build and retain clients.

· Identify the benefits of customer loyalty and retention strategies.

· Describe elastic and inelastic demand.

· Estimate selling price on the basis of elasticity of demand.

· Identify anti-trust laws.

You Can Bank on IT

For this individual project, students are asked to offer financial advice and investment support to a friend who is hoping to bring a promising mobile game to market.

Essential Question

How do entrepreneurs obtain the money they need to start or expand a business?

Driving Question

How can we, as entrepreneurs, grow our business in an economically sustainable way and use data to convince a bank or investors that our business is going to be a success?

· Identify economics of sustainable businesses.

· Calculate monthly principal amount on a loan.

· Calculate ROI (return on investment) in dollars and as a percentage.

· Define cash, currency, and exchange rate.

· Define common business costs

· Define environmental sustainability.

· Define liquidity.

· Define penetration pricing and skimming.

· Define seed money.

· Define sustainability.

· Define the time value of money.

· Describe a pitch deck and VC (venture capital) road show.

· Describe budgeting.

· Describe credit, credit history, and credit scores.

· Describe how credit affects price.

· Describe ROI (return on investment) and its importance.

· Describe the differences between long term and short term.

· Estimate selling price on the basis of elasticity of demand.

· Explain the concept of compound interest.

· Identify advantages and disadvantages of credit options.

· Identify antitrust laws.

· Identify antitrust laws, predatory pricing, and price gouging.

· Identify bank security concerns and the role of the FDIC in banking industry.

· Identify collection process.

· Identify costs of lending and borrowing.

· Identify credit agencies.

· Identify different types of bank accounts.

· Identify different types of banking transactions.

· Identify factors in selecting capital resources.

· Identify how to forecast profit.

· Identify investment options, stocks, bonds, mutual funds.

· Identify questions that will help in determining future goals.

· Identify services offered by banks.

· Identify startup costs.

· Identify the characteristics of a good investment.

· Identify the factors that helps in predicting or forecasting more accurate results.

· Identify the functions of the Federal Reserve System.

· Identify the impact of technology on sustainability.

· Identify the importance of cash flow for a business.

· Identify the importance of prioritizing of goals.

· Identify the importance of sales forecasting.

· Identify the information the lender needs before approving a loan.

· Identify the strategies to minimize financial risk.

· Identify the types of credit a business might offer its customers.

· Identify the ways to establish credit.

· Identify various sources of funding outside of traditional banks.

· Outline the process of applying for a loan.

· Predict the risk of future investing of the company.

· Prepare an amortization schedule.

· Prepare plan to repay.

· State the positive and negative aspects of offering credits by small businesses to its customers.

To Build or Not to Build

In this group project, students play the role of business consultants, and after researching various topics associated with choosing a business location, make a location recommendation for a business of their choice.

Essential Question

How does location impact business profitability?

Driving Question

How can we, as business consultants, identify the best location for a growing business, one that meets the company’s needs and maximizes their profitability?

· Identify channel activities to minimize cost.

· Identify channels of distribution strategies.

· Define product/ service management.

· Define strategic management.

· Define channel management.

· Identify trading area with respect to geographic, demographic, and economic data by using online resources.

· Define traffic patterns, proximity to competition.

· Identify factors in renting and leasing.

· Describe how to select a site.

· Identify cultural, financial, vocational, age, and mobility characteristics of the inhabitants of potential location.

· Identify common federal, state, and local taxes.

· Describe employment taxes.

· Identify taxes for different business structures.

· Identify how to file taxes.

· Identify the government's role in the economy.

· Identify zoning regulations.

· Identify the purpose of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Affirmative Action, and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

· Identify the purpose of common government agencies and their policies.

· Identify means for compliance.

· Identify the laws and regulations that affect small businesses.

· Define civil case, plaintiff, and defendant.

· Identify the principles of contracts and regulatory compliance.

· Identify the parts of a contract.

· Identify breach of contract and common business torts.

· Identify the types of intellectual property.

· Identify the importance of professional counsel, lawyer, and accountant.

· Identify enforceable and nonenforceable parts of a contract.

· Identify contractual relationship, power of attorney, and limited power of attorney.

· Identify how to comply with the statute of frauds.

· Identify nonenforceable and enforceable elements of a case study.

· Describe legal documents for a business.

· Identify the cultural differences that influence business.

· Identify how cultural considerations can affect product and marketing mix.

· Define global trade and domestic trade.

· Define importing, exporting, free trade, and tariff.

· Identify the common exports and imports of the United States to other countries.

· Identify cultural, political, and social impacts on trade.

· Define GDP (gross domestic product) and CPI (consumer price index).

· Identify the purpose of the U.S. government agencies that provide export assistance.

· Identify currencies and the factors that affect exchange rates.

· Identify the benefits and risks of participating in global trade.

· Identify the global business opportunities for entrepreneurs.

· Identify technology needs.

· Identify how to perform tasks with technology.

Human Resource Factor

In this group project students assume the role of Human Resource professionals who must recruit talented individuals to join their company and address issues of employee satisfaction exposed in an employee satisfaction survey.

Essential Question

What are the characteristics of a happy and productive work environment?

Driving Question

How can you, as human resource professionals, recruit skilled workers to a company and encourage a positive and productive work environment?

· Identify ways to find and train employees, including safety topics.

· Identify the components of employee orientation including employment documents.

· Identify the common personnel policies for employees.

· Describe various wage and salary plans, fringe benefits.

· Describe non-compete clauses, non-solicitation.

· Describe diversity awareness.

· Define Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

· Describe a policy manual.

· Identify employment laws.

· Describe workplace safety.

· Identify how to assess a company's needs and create job descriptions.

· Identify the role of human resource management.

· Identify how to staff within a budget.

· Identify networking opportunities.

· Identify organization planning tools.

· Identify job opportunities.

· Describe various ways to use the internet to identify job opportunities.

· Identify the ways to gain experience needed for a job.

· Write a personal vision statement.

· Monitor personal vision statement by setting short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals.

· Explain individuality.

· Identify common parts of a job portfolio.

· Describe the process of applying for a job.

· Fill and submit a practice job application and resume.

· Identify tips for successful interviewing.

· Identify steps to take after an interview.

· Define specialization, division of labor, generalization, law of diminishing returns, outsourcing, and layoffs.

· Identify common business documents.

· Identify organizational charts.

· Define management.

· Identify chain of command.

· Identify the characteristics of successful teams.

· Identify the types of management styles.

· Describe how to how to evaluate employee habits.

· Describe how to evaluate employees.

· Define resignation and firing.

· Identify the ways to deal with job separation.

· Identify the positive work attitudes and behaviors.

· Identify verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills.

· Define active listening.

· Identify the ways to manage language and cultural differences within a company.

· Define negotiation and conflict resolution.