MGTK 304 Small Business Management/ Spring 2015 MW 9:30am - 10:45am in Founder s Bldg. Rm. 211

Transcription

1 MGTK 304 Small Business Management/ Spring 2015 MW 9:30am - 10:45am in Founder s Bldg. Rm. 211 Instructor: Angela Patrick, PhD. Office Phone: Cell Phone: Office: Founder s Room#: 323S abpatrick@tamuct.edu or abpatrick@me.com Office Hours: M/W 11:00am-1:00pm; Tues. 1:00pm-3:00pm College of Business Administration Department Information: COBA Department Main Phone Number: COBA Department Main cobainfo@tamuct.edu COBA Department Main Fax#: Mode of instruction and course access: This is a face-to-face course in addition to utilizing the TAMUCT Blackboard system. Grades, assignment, cases, handouts, activities, and other resources will be posted on Blackboard (BB) Time/Location Course Meets: We will meet every Monday and Wednesday from 9:30am to 10:45am on the TAMUCT Main Campus, Room 211. Student/Professor Communication: I am readily accessible before/after class, via cell phone, text, or . I will respond to an within 24 hours. If an appointment is needed contact can be face-to-face, Skype, or phone. UNILERT: Emergency Warning System for Texas A&M University Central Texas UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central Texas the ability to communicate health and safety emergency information quickly via , text message, and social media. All students are automatically enrolled in UNILERT through their myct account. Connect at to change where you receive your alerts or to opt out. By staying enrolled in UNILERT, university officials can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of your location. 1.0 Course Overview and Description This course is oriented toward planning for and managing a small business, starting a business, and buying a business franchise. 2.0 Overall Course Objective The study of starting and managing a small business will be centered the business plan. This will include formulating a business idea, assessing the market potential, selecting a location, selecting a legal form of organization, arranging financing, securing necessary supplies, meeting

2 governmental regulations, securing and retaining appropriate employees, instituting accounting records, establishing appropriate controls, and developing production systems. 2.1 Student Learning Outcomes Upon the completion of the course, the student will: 1. Apply contemporary management knowledge in small business operations; 2. Articulate a collection of practical considerations involved in managing a small business; 3. Formulate small business marketing. 4. Comprehend financial management principles of small firms; 5. Discuss and recognize the social and legal environment affecting small business; 6. Prepare a business plan Textbook and Required Materials Small Business Management: Launching and Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures, Longenecker, J., Petty, J.W., & Hoy, F., 17th Ed. ISBN Note: A student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from a university-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. If your book is going to be delayed, you might look into at least purchasing e-chapters to stay up to date. CengageBrain Valuable Resources: Small Business Administration (SBA), APA Formatting Guidelines, APA Formatting Citations Video,

3 4.0 Course Requirements 4.1. Small Business Management (SBM) Workshop (30% of course evaluation): Students will be grouped together to complete a 60-minute workshop designed for the small business owner. Any small business must be able to benefit from your training module. Students will self-select the team members (2-4 members), but must seek final approval from the instructor before beginning the project. There will be no overlapping topics, so select your topic early. Your workshop should include at least the following: 1. A professional portfolio; 2. A 60 minute in-class professional and engaging seminar; 3. Pre-preparation materials for the business owner (classmates); 4. Presentation (PowerPoint, Multimedia, Flip Chart, for example); 5. Handouts for the audience; 6. Worksheets for the audience; 7. Facilitator s notes; 8. At least 15 recommended additional annotated resources; 9. At least 10 short answer questions; Each student within the group must participate in the in-class as well as out of class portions of the workshop. The group will be evaluated based on professional completeness of the project, engagement and participation of the audience, workshop participant s evaluation, peer evaluation, and instructor evaluation as well as the thoroughness of the content. Professional creativity is a bonus and will be rewarded. *Note: this is a team project. As with any team, conflict might appear within your chosen teams. It is expected that each team will resolve conflicts amongst itself. If this is not possible, the entire team must schedule a meeting with the professor to discuss the issue. The professor will act as the mediator, but the final resolution will need to be reached between the team members. Team members have the option to fire members of the team if necessary after well-documented attempts to resolve conflict have occurred. Fired team members will forfeit credit (30% of final grade) for the workshop assignment. Possible Small Business Management (SBM) Workshop Training Topics: (Your group is not limited to the topics listed) Stress Management Customer Service Evaluating Employee Performance Small Business Laws and Regulations for the State of Texas Business Development Business Communication Budgeting Business Etiquette Human Resource Accounting and Financial Training Employee Retention Conflict Management Leadership Safety Sales/Marketing Strategies Time Management

4 Grading Checklist: Activity Possible Points Overall presentation including all material 100 Engages audience 50 Explains and discerns training concept to audience 50 Main and supporting points are plausible, sophisticated, insightful, and 50 clear. All Verbal and written communication is accurate with well-developed 50 thoughts that convey the overall message. Total possible points Business Plan (30% of course evaluation): Each student will complete a business plan for a business of his/her choosing (instructor approval required). The business plan provides students with the ability to develop an idea or business concept. All students will upload a business plan to BB by the due date listed in the course calendar. APA (6 th ed.) guidelines will be used for formatting. The final body of your business plan will be pages in length. This does not include title pages, exhibits, reference pages, appendices..). The audience for your business plan is potential investors. Writing should be free of spelling and grammar errors that detract for the overall message. Grading Checklist Activity Possible Points Cover sheet/ table of contents (with page numbers!). 30 Format using APA 6 th ed. (double space, margins, general points neatness 30 and appearance, grammar, and spelling). Executive Summary: summarizes business plan; provides an overview of the 30 practice, motivates and excites the reader; describes business purpose; asks for specific funding. General business description/ Mission Statement: An overview of the 30 company is provided which includes information regarding the reason for starting, mission statement, basic activity, company focus, goods and/or services provided, primary customers, and location. Industry Analysis: Provides complete information regarding industry size 30 and maturity, opportunities & threats in the industry, overall outlook for the industry, major competitors. Explains how proposed product/service is distinct from others. Management Plan: Form of business ownership was chosen, defined, and 30 reasoning was given for the choice of ownership. Thorough explanation of how things will be accomplished. Marketing Plan: Who are your customers, where are they, what do they 30 want? Marketing of the business was thoroughly discussed including the identification of the target market and how they will be reached, customer needs and product characteristics, pricing, distribution, promotion. Operating plan: describes daily operation; general office layout; facilities 30 and equipment; fee schedule; financial policies.

5 Financial Management: Start-up Costs, financing strategies and concepts 30 were discussed. Other: Resume, references, supporting documents, etc. 30 Total Possible Points Case Study (20% of course evaluation): Students will be required to expand on the small business management concept through additional ideation techniques and theories using a business case study that will be provided on BB. Any document found to be falsified, plagiarized, or otherwise academically fraudulent will result in the student earning an F for the course. There are no exceptions to this rule! Case Study Project Requirements: To achieve a successful project experience and outcome, you are expected to meet the following requirements: Length: A minimum of 4-6 pages, excluding references. Resources: A minimum of at least 5 scholarly resources related to the field of small business management that is referenced according to APA (6 th ed.) guidelines. Writing: Writing is free of spelling and grammar errors that detract from the overall message. Critical Thinking: Writing demonstrates evidence of critical thinking, including the ability to compare, contrast, analyze, and synthesize. Organization and clarity: Presents logical organized arguments, well supported by appropriate resources. Grading Checklist: Activity Possible Points Meets all project requirements. 40 Explains and analyzes the discussion questions. 40 Explains and discerns the owners/managers issues within the case. 40 Main and supporting points are plausible, sophisticated, insightful, and 40 clear. Written communication is accurate with well-developed thoughts that 40 convey the overall message Total Possible Points Participation (10% of course evaluation): You are expected to have read all assigned readings before you come to class. You are also expected to participate actively in class discussions, group activities, cases analyses, and exercises. As a courtesy, please notify me via , text, or telephone if you will be missing class or missed a class. No late work will be accepted; please make arrangements to turn your work in early if you will be missing a class meeting.

6 Participation includes attending class, participation in online forums, reading assigned chapters, bringing in requested materials or assignments, and participating in class discussions. If for some reason a student is unable to attend class, he/she will be responsible for obtaining notes, assignments, and other relevant course information from other classmates. Please do not ask me the question did I miss something important. Participation (assessed daily) is graded based on your level of attendance, substantive discussion, demonstration of preparedness for class as well as overall above and beyond engagement you demonstrate in class. Disruptive behavior will count negatively on your participation within this course. Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to, talking amongst each other in-class when it is not appropriate, working on other course work, sleeping in-class, disrupting your fellow classmates learning environment. Please treat our learning environment the way you would treat your employer. The final participation score will be the sole discretion of the professor. 4.5 Homework or Quiz (10% of course evaluation): There will be a total of four (4) homework or quiz assignments for this course that will be worth 10% of your total course grade. Each homework or quiz will cover the information covered in the text, lectures and in class assignments. See course schedule for dates of each homework or quiz. 5.0 Grading Criteria Rubric Your grade is determined by the total number of points earned during the semester. Points Letter Grade 1, A B C D 645-below F Course Evaluation Percentage/Points SBM Workshop 30% / 300 Business Plan 30% / 300 Case Studies 20% / 200 Participation Quizzes 10% / %/ 100 Total 100% / 1000 Learning Outcome Evaluation Matrix Evaluation LO1: apply contemporary management knowledge in small business operations; LO2: articulate a collection of practical considerations involved in managing a small LO3: formulate small business marketing LO4: comprehend financial management principles of small firms; LO5: discuss and recognize the social and legal environment affecting small business; LO6: prepare a business plan.

7 business; Business Plan X X X X X X Case Studies X X X X X X SBM X X X Workshop Participation X X X X X HW/Quizzes X X X X X 6.0 Complete Course Calendar TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE WEEK DATES SECTION CHAPTER ASSIGNMENTS 1 January 21 NO CLASS---Please review syllabus and respond to the discussion forum on Blackboard. 2 January 26 January 28 Section 1: Entrepreneurship: A World of Opportunity 1 2 Introductions, syllabus 3 February 2 February 4 4 February 9 February 11 Section 2: Starting from Scratch or Joining an Existing Business 3 4 Identify Groups 5 SBM Workshop Groups & Topics Due 6 *Business for Plan Topic Due 5 February 16 February 18 Section3: Developing the New Venture Business Plan 7 8 Homework/Quiz 1 *Start preliminary research for business plan. 6 February 23 9 *General Business Description February /25--Case Study Due

8 7 March 2 11 *Industry/ SWOT Analysis March 4 8 March *Management Plan March 11 March 16 March 18 9 March 23 March March 30 Section 4: Focusing on the Customer: Marketing Growth Strategies 13 Homework/Quiz 2 SPRING BREAK 14 *Marketing Plan 3/25 Group 1 Presentation 15 April 1 11 April 6 April 8 12 April 13 Section 5: Managing Growth in Small Business /1 Group 2 Presentation 4/8 Group 3 Presentation *Operating Plan April Homework/Quiz 3 13 April April April 27 April May 4 May 6 16 May 11 May /20 Group 4 Presentation 21 *Financial Plan 22 Homework/Quiz 4 23 *Executive Summary Guest Speaker Video Case *Finish-up plan Group Discussion Business Plan due NLT Wednesday, May 12, 6:00pm Note-- * Are suggested Project Management Dates for your Business Plan Note: April 18th Summer 2015 Graduation Applications Due

9 HOLIDAYS Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Spring Break DATES CLOSED January 20, 2014 March 10-14, Drop Policy If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records Office and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always the responsibility of the student. The record s office will provide a deadline for which the form must be returned, completed and signed. Once you return the signed form to the records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into Warrior Web and confirm that you are no longer enrolled. Should you still be enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office immediately? You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid penalty for absence. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an F in the course. 8.0 Academic Integrity Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Students found responsible of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of academic dishonesty and report the incident to the Director of Student Affairs. More information can be found at Disability Support Services At Texas A&M University Central Texas, we value an inclusive learning environment where every student has an equal chance to succeed and has the right to an education that is barrier-free. The Office of Disability Support and Access is responsible for ensuring that students with a disability enjoy equal access to the University's programs, services and activities. Some aspects of this course or the way the course is taught may present barriers to learning due to a disability. If you feel this is the case, please contact Disability Support and Access at (254) in Warrior Hall, Ste For more information, please visit their website at Any information you provide is private and confidential and will be treated as such Tutoring Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing (APA). Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Founder's Hall, Room 204, and also in the Library in the North Building. Visit and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and contact info. If you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic Support Programs at or by ing cecilia.morales@tamuct.edu. Chat live with a tutor 24/7 for almost any subject on your computer! Tutor.com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive FREE online tutoring and writing support. This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing, Career Writing,

10 Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. To access Tutor.com, click on Library Services Texas students seeking information sources remotely by providing digital reference, online information literacy tutorials, and digital research materials. Much of the A&M-CT collection is available instantly from home. This includes over half of the library's book collection, as well as approximately 25,000 electronic journals and 200 online databases. Library Distance Education Services are outlined and accessed at: Information literacy focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and work in an information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the development of critical reasoning, ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research techniques. Help may include, but is not limited to: the exploration of information resources such as library collections, the identification of appropriate materials, and the execution of effective search strategies. Library Resources are outlined and accessed at: Policies/Expectations 12.1 What You Can Expect of Me: You can expect that I will come to class prepared and ready to engage in active learning. I will work to create a respectful learning environment where all of us can express our thoughts and ask questions. While we do not have to agree with each other, we will do so in respectful ways. I expect to learn from you as we spend the next 16 weeks together! I will be available to answer your questions and help you be successful in this course I reserve the right to make reasonable alterations to the course calendar and syllabus as provided here. It is a guide, not a hard and fast rule. Changes will only be made that benefit the class as a whole All papers must be computer processed. They will be graded both for content, correct grammar and punctuation. APA style is the format for formal papers. All papers are to be submitted via BlackBoard. No late work will be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor Attendance is essential in a class of this nature. In order to successfully pass the course students must attend all sessions and complete all project assignments. 6 or more absences RESULT IN AN F FOR YOUR FINAL GRADE. Class participation is required. Being late to class is nonprofessional behavior. Consistently being late (3 times or more without prior notification and approval) will equal 1 absence.