BBA 405 - SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Spring 2016 GENERAL INFORMATION Professor: Sabra K Lemmon Phone: (928) 941-2814 call or text Email: Sabra.Lemmon@nau.edu Note: Best reached by email. Please use the email function within Blackboard only. Do not sent me e-mails to NAU s email, use the classroom email. I will make every reasonable effort to return your emails within a 24 hour period, Monday through Friday. Remember that our class is in an asynchronous environment and communication should take place within the classroom whenever possible. COURSE PREREQUISITES BBA 300, BBA 305W, and Admission to BBA program. COURSE/CATALOG DESCRIPTION Course description: Concepts and techniques of organizing and managing small enterprises. Emphasis on practical problems, especially the analysis of practical business case studies and interviews with local and regional businesses that will help the student identify the key steps in successfully managing an ongoing business for profitability and long term enterprise survival. This course is a letter grade only. COURSE STRUCTURE / APPROACH This course is in the online environment, using PowerPoint, some lectures, class discussions, and other classroom tools. IMPORTANT: Online Course Guidelines: If you need help navigating in Blackboard Learn, visit http://www.nau.edu/stc/ COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Define the elements for planning and selecting a business Develop a business plan Define marketing strategies Define growth strategies READINGS AND COURSE MATERIALS Required Text Text: Longenecker, J. G., Petty, J. W., Palich, L. E., & Hoy, F. (2012). Small business management (16 th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western. Additional articles and reading materials as assigned.
General course information: 1. The class covers chapters 1-23 and is divided into 7 modules with each module covering up to five chapters. Each module will contain two Discussion Questions and requires each student to post one initial response and to post at least one response post to another students post. 2. Students are expected to read all posts from other students and from the instructor. This is an online class, and the success of our communication depends on reading the information posted. Plan to visit the classroom regularly several times per week. 3. Each course assignment has a firm due date listed in the description of the assignment, as well as in the Course Outline. You may work ahead as much as you would like. With proper communication and completely to my discretion, I may allow late work, but only in emergency situations. EVALUATION TOOLS Evaluations of student performance will be conducted by the means of assessments. The assessments consist of: a Biography, participation in the discussion board in BbLearn, a business selection report, a financial statement report, a final business plan, and four quizzes covering two modules in each quiz. The learning outcomes will be achieved if the student passes the course requirements with a grade of C or higher based on the grading scale below. Course Requirements: 1. Biography..20 points (all or nothing) 2. Syllabus Acknowledgement..10 points (all or nothing) 3. Discussion Board (14 DQs, Two post each/10 points each)....140 points (all or nothing) 4. Chapter Homework (23 chapters 10 points each.......230 points (85 % or Higher) 6. Final Business Plans...300 points (85 % or Higher) 5. Module exams (7 Module exams at 100 points each)...700 points (85 % or Higher) Total..1400 points The biography, syllabus acknowledgement, and discussion board you may receive all of the points if the assignment meets the minimum requirements or you may receive none of the points if the assignment does not meet the minimum requirements. Homework receives the score you earned on the assignment and there is only one attempt. On the business plan and all module exams, you must score 85% or more to receive the points you earned on the exam. See the individual assignment information below for more details. 1260 1400 points... A 1120 1259 points... B 980 1119 points... C 840 979 points.....d <839 points... F Biography: The Biography is a short post on the discussion board briefly describing you and should include at least your name, how far along in you are in the BBA program, why you decide to get a degree in business, and a little about your family. Mine is posted and can be viewed by clicking on the Your Instructor in the column to the left. Also, picture
inside your personal profile are encouraged but not required. This is the best way to get know all of you. This assignment is due by Wednesday, March 25, at midnight. Remember, this is an all or nothing assignment. Syllabus Acknowledgement: In the Discussion Board you will find a forum to post a brief statement that you have read and understand the syllabus. This assignment is due by Wednesday, March 25, at midnight. Remember this is an all or nothing assignment, and must be completed by the due date in order to receive points for it. Discussion Board (DB): Each module will have two Discussion Questions (DQs). Each DQ will require an initial post and a response post. The requirements for each are as follows: 1) Initial Post a) You most paste the original DQ inside your initial post. b) Your initial post must be a minimum of 150 words. c) Your initial post must contain one citation with a reference listed from a scholarly source and in proper APA format. d) For each module, DQ-1 will be due on Wednesdays. For each module DQ-2, will be due on Fridays. Please see the course outline for specific due dates. 2) Response Post a) The response post must be substantive; a minimum of 75 words, and adds to the discussion. b) A response post must be about another student s initial response or can be a reply to another students post about your own initial post. c) Although no citations is required for a response post, plagiarism rules are still in effect, so if you are borrowing other s work cite it and list the reference. d) All response posts are due on Sunday of each week at midnight. Remember this is an all or nothing assignment and you must meet these minimums to receive any of the points. This includes turning them in by the due date (see the course outline for due dates). Homework: Each Chapter will have a homework assignment consisting of 5 10 multiple-choice questions. Chapter homework assignments for each module are due by Thursday at midnight. You will be award the score you receive (between 0-10) on the assignment. There are no retakes on these assignments. The Business Plan: Throughout the course you will learn about principle governing small business entrepreneurial management. This assignment is to apply these to a real life scenario. You must identify a problem that has a solution solved by starting a new business (no existing business will be approved for this assignment). By the end of week two or Sunday, 4/5, you must submit your business selection. Then, following the guidelines for a short (abbreviated) plan found on page 145-146 of the course text, you must write a business plan. It must be in APA format and, although no specific length is required, must thoroughly demonstrate your knowledge of the skills gained throughout the course. The assignment is worth 150 points and is due on Sunday, April 26, at midnight. The following rubric will be used to grade the assignment so use it as a guide. Remember, you must score at least 85% or higher to receive the points. If your first attempt, due by April 26, does not receive the 85% required, you may make correction and resubmit for regarding. You must email your instructor to request to resubmit through BbLearn. Once you achieve an 85% score, you will receive the points you earned on the this assignment.
Criteria Novice 25% I. The Problem The Problem is short and very inadequate. II. The Strategy III. The Measurements of Success IV. The Milestones V. The Task and Responsibilities VI. The Business Model Writing Skills, grammar, APA format The strategy is not present. The measurements of success are not present. The Milestones are not presented. The team is not discussed The Business model is not presented.. The paper has many formatting and grammatical errors, charts are hard to read or incorrectly formatted, and the paper is missing citations and/or a references page. Business Plan Grading Rubric Needs Improvement 50% The Problem is somewhat adequate at explaining the business plan. The strategy is briefly explained but is incomplete. The measurements of success are briefly explained but incomplete. The Milestones are briefly explained but is incomplete. The team is briefly explained but is incomplete. The business model is presented but incomplete. The paper is presented in a decent order, but full of grammatical errors, charts are decent, and citations and the reference page have many formatting errors (APA format rules apply). Proficient 75% The Problem adequately explains the basic business plan but fails to catch the attention of the reader. The strategy is but lack supportive The measurements of success are but lack supportive. The Milestones are but lack supportive The team is but lack supportive The business plan is complete but lack supportive The paper is presented in a logical format, charts or professional and free of most errors, mostly free of grammatical errors, and citation and the reference page free of most formatting errors. Superior 100% The Problem adequately explains the basic business plan and catches the attention of the reader influencing them to read on. The strategy is and is backed with The Measurements of success are and is backed with The Milestones are and is backed with The team is and is backed with The business plan is complete but and is supported by research The paper is presented in logical order and format, all charts are professional, it is free of most grammatical errors, and citations and the reference page are in APA format.
Module Exams There are seven module exams in this course. Exams will be from 50 60 multiple choice/true or false type questions. You will be given two hours and thirty minutes for each quiz. Be sure to read each chapter carefully, the exams are open book and open notes, but there is not enough time to look for every answer in the book. Each of the seven exams is worth 100 points, and you must complete the attempt by the due date shown in the course outline. You must score an 85 % or higher in order to earn your score you receive on the exam. If you do not get the 85% required on you first attempt, you must email your instructor for a second attempt. You may not retest sooner than 24 hours after the previous attempt. Example, you score 75 on your first attempt at Module 1 test. You would email the instructor and request another attempt. Example 2, you score an 85.6 on your first attempt, 85.6 would be the score you receive in the grade book. COURSE OUTLINE* *The schedule and assignments are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor or the university. Module/Date Objectives Activities Work Due Module 1 3/21 3/24 Module 2 3/25 3/31 Module 3 4/1 4/7 Module 4 4/8 4/14 Module 5 4/15 4/21 Module 6 4/22 4/28 1. Identify different types of Entrepreneurs. 2. Describe good and bad business ethics. 1. Identify good business ideas. 2. Identify the benefits of franchises and buyout business. 3. Identify positive/negatives of family businesses. 1. Describe the aspect of business plan writing. 2. Name and describe the parts of a marketing plan. 3. Identify the different structure of business. 4. Identify ways to determine the best location for a business. 1. Identify the different parts of financial statements. 2. Forecast financial statements and cash flow needs. 3. Identify different sources of financing start-ups. 4. Identify different exit strategies. 1. Describe key aspects in product development. 2. Decide on appropriate pricing and credit decisions. 3. Identify how to plan for promotional activities. 1. Identify global opportunities for small business. 2. Determine the best time and circumstances to hire managers. 3. Identify Key aspect of Human resource management. Introductions and get acquainted - Biography Review syllabus and understand class requirements and assignments Read chapter 1 and 2 Be active in the discussion board (DB) Read chapters 3-5 Prepare for Quiz 1 Read chapters 6-9 Read chapters 10-13 Prepare for Quiz 2 Read chapters 14-16 Prepare for Quiz 1 Read chapters 17-20 Biography Syllabus M1DQ1 M1DQ2 Homework 1-2 Module exams M2DQ1 M2DQ2 Homework 3-5 M3DQ1 M3DQ2 Homework 6-9 Module Quiz M4DQ1 M4DQ2 Homework 10-13 M6DQ1 M6DQ2 Homework 14-18 Business Plan M7DQ1 M7DQ2 Response post Homework 17-20
Module 7 4/29 5/8 The Student will: 1. Identify proper management of operations including inventory and quality control. 2. Identify ways to manage a firm s assets. 3. Define how to manage risk in small business. Read chapters 21-23 Prepare for Quiz 1 M8DQ1 M8DQ2 Homework 21-23 COURSE POLICIES Assignments submitted as a requirement for some other class may not be submitted for an assignment in this BBA class. All assignments must be original work of the student or properly referenced and must be specific work for this class. All work is to be submitted in the appropriate professional style and format. Standard oral and written English is always used in the NAU classroom. All assignments must be turned in on the due dates specified in the syllabus. Late work may be accepted at the discretion of the instructor and may include a 10% penalty deduction per week. All assignments need to be submitted by the last day of class. Students are responsible for making sure they have assignments and handouts and turn in assignments on time. This is an online course. Participation in the classroom is required as described in this syllabus. Exams and quizzes may not be made up unless arrangements to do so are made in advance or the reason is extreme, unexpected, and unavoidable. Late quizzes and exams may receive a deduction of 10 percent at the discretion of the instructor. Class participation cannot receive make-up credit. Participation should occur within the week of class (M S). This class will be a success for you and others if you take the responsibility for your own learning and share your learning and experiences with the other participants in the class. This is your unique opportunity to display, practice, assess, and improve your own learning and leadership. Students are expected to notify the instructor if they will be absent from the class for more than one week. A university education aims to expand student understanding and awareness. Thus it necessarily involves engagement with a wide range of information, ideas, and creative representations. In this course of college studies, students can expect to encounter and critically appraise materials that may differ from and perhaps challenge familiar understandings, ideas, and beliefs. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters with faculty. Northern Arizona University POLICY STATEMENTS SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY NAU s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination and promote the safety of all individuals within the university. The goal of this policy is to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university. You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean s office. If you have concerns about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, dean s office, the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), the academic ombudsperson (928-523-9368), or NAU s Office of Affirmative Action (928-523-3312).
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting the office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 928-523-8773 (voice), 928-523-6906 (TTY). In order for your individual needs to be met, you are required to provide DSS with disability related documentation and are encouraged to provide it at least eight weeks prior to the time you wish to receive accommodations. You must register with DSS each semester you are enrolled at NAU and wish to use accommodations. Faculty is not authorized to provide a student with disability related accommodations without prior approval from DSS. Students who have registered with DSS are encouraged to notify their instructors a minimum of two weeks in advance to ensure accommodations. Otherwise, the provision of accommodations may be delayed. Concerns or questions regarding disability related accommodations can be brought to the attention of DSS or the Affirmative Action Office. INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at NAU including a course project, report, or research paper must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in research and research-related activities. The IRB meets once each month. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working days before the monthly meeting. You should consult with your course instructor early in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your instructor and department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt from further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures. A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department s administrative office and each college dean s office. If you have questions, contact Carey Conover, Office of Grant and Contract Services, at 928-523-4889. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As members of the academic community, NAU s administration, faculty, staff and students are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining the academic integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an academically honest manner. Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy on academic integrity is in Appendix F of NAU s Student Handbook. ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206, Academic Credit) states: an hour of work is the equivalent of 50 minutes of class time at least 15 contact hours or recitation, lecture, discussion, testing or evaluation, seminar, or colloquium as well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is required for each unit of credit.
The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should expect, on average, to do a minimum of two additional hours of work per week; e.g., preparation, homework, studying.