MGTK 410 – Spring 2016
MGTK 410 – Entrepreneurship II/ Spring 2016
M/W 1:00pm-2:15pm in Founder’s Hall, Room 304
Instructor: Angela Patrick, PhD.
Office Phone: 254-501-5927 Cell Phone: 254-681-1416
Office: Founder’s Room#: 323S
E-mail:
Office Hours: M/W & T/Th 8:30 am – 9:30am, 11am - 1pm
College of Business Administration Department Information:
COBA Department Main Phone Number: 254-519-5437
COBA Department Main Email:
COBA Department Main Fax#: 254-501-5825
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) http://tamuct.blackboard.com.
Time/Location Course Meets: We will meet every Monday and Wednesday from 1:00pm to 2:15pm in Founder’s Hall, Room 313.
Student/Professor Communication: I am readily accessible before/after class, via cell phone, text, or email. I will respond to an email 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 email, text message, and social media. All students are automatically enrolled in UNILERT through their myCT email account. Connect at www.TAMUCT.edu/UNILERT 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 purpose of this course is to develop the skills required to manage and grow a new venture past the start-up. Students will apply general business concepts to the wide range of challenges facing entrepreneurs. This course draws on a broad range of business disciplines including management, marketing, finance, and accounting to develop the business plan.
2.1 Student Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of the course, the student will:
- Apply contemporary management knowledge in entrepreneurial operations;
- Articulate a collection of practical considerations involved in managing an entrepreneurial business;
- Formulate entrepreneurial marketing and build customer relationships.
- Comprehend financial management principles of smaller firms;
- Discuss and recognize the social and legal environment affecting small business;
- Prepare a business plan.
3. 0 Textbook and Required Materials
Small Business Management: Entrepreneurship and Beyond, 6th Edition. Timothy S. Hatten
ISBN-10: 1-285-86638-X: ISBN-13: 978-1-285-86638-3
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.
Valuable Resources:
Small Business Administration (SBA), http://www.sba.gov/content/templates-writing-business-plan
APA Formatting Guidelines, http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01
APA Formatting Citations Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pbUoNa5tyY
4.0 Course Requirements
4.1. Small Entrepreneurial Business Management (SBM) Workshop (30% of course evaluation):
Students will be grouped together to complete a 60-minute workshop designed for a smaller entrepreneurial business owner. Any business must be able to benefit from your training module. Students will self-select the team members (2-3 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:
- A professional portfolio;
- A 60 minute in-class professional and engaging seminar;
- Pre-preparation materials for the business owner (classmates);
- Presentation (PowerPoint, Multimedia, Flip Chart, for example);
- Handouts for the audience;
- Worksheets for the audience;
- Facilitator’s notes;
- At least 15 recommended additional annotated resources;
- 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
Grading Checklist:
Activity / Possible PointsOverall 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 clear. / 50
All Verbal and written communication is accurate with well-developed thoughts that convey the overall message. / 50
Total possible points / 300
4.2 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 (6th ed.) guidelines will be used for formatting. The final body of your business plan will be 10-12 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 PointsCover sheet/ table of contents (with page numbers!). / 30
Format using APA 6th ed. (double space, margins, general points neatness and appearance, grammar, and spelling). / 30
Executive Summary: summarizes business plan; provides an overview of the practice, motivates and excites the reader; describes business purpose; asks for specific funding. / 30
General business description/ Mission Statement: An overview of the 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. / 30
Industry Analysis: Provides complete information regarding industry size and maturity, opportunities & threats in the industry, overall outlook for the industry, major competitors. Explains how proposed product/service is distinct from others. / 30
Management Plan: Form of business ownership was chosen, defined, and reasoning was given for the choice of ownership. Thorough explanation of how things will be accomplished. / 30
Marketing Plan: Who are your customers, where are they, what do they 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. / 30
Operating plan: describes daily operation; general office layout; facilities and equipment; fee schedule; financial policies. / 30
Financial Management: Start-up Costs, financing strategies and concepts were discussed. / 30
Other: Resume, references, supporting documents, etc. / 30
Total Possible Points / 300
4.3 Case Study (20% of course evaluation):
Students will be required to expand on the entrepreneurial 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 (6th 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 PointsMeets 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 clear. / 40
Written communication is accurate with well-developed thoughts that convey the overall message / 40
Total Possible Points / 200
4.4 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 email, 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.
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/Quiz (10% of course evaluation): There will be a total of four (4) homework/quiz assignments for this course that will be worth 10% of your total course grade. Each homework/quiz will cover the information covered in the text, lectures and in class assignments. See course schedule for dates of each homework/quiz.
5.0 Grading Criteria Rubric
Your grade is determined by the total number of points earned during the semester.
Points / Letter Grade1,000-895 / A
895-795 / B
795-715 / C
715-645 / D
645-below / F
Course Evaluation / Percentage/Points
SBM Workshop / 30% / 300
Business Plan / 30% / 300
Case Studies / 20% / 200
Participation
Quizzes / 10% / 100
10%/ 100
Total / 100% / 1000
Learning Outcome Evaluation Matrix
Evaluation / LO1: apply contemp-orary manage-ment knowledge in small business operations; / LO2: articulate a collection of practical considera-tions involved in managing a small business; / 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.
Business Plan / X / X / X / X / X / X
Case Studies / X / X / X / X / X / X
SBM Workshop / X / X / X
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 / ASSIGNMENTS1 / 1/19 / Section 1:
The Challenge / 1 / Introductions, syllabus
2 / 1/25 / 2 / Identify Groups
3 / 2/1 / Section 2:
Planning in Small Firms / 3
4 / SBM Workshop Groups & Topics Due
Business for Plan Topic Due
4 / 2/8 / Section3:
Early Decisions / 5
6 / *Start preliminary research for business plan.
Homework/Quiz 1
5 / 2/15 / 7 / *General Business Description
6 / 2/22 /
Group Presentations
7 / 2/29 / Section 4: Financial and Legal Management / 8
9
8 / 3/7 / 10 / *Management Plan
Homework/Quiz 2
3/14 / SPRING BREAK
9 / 3/21 / Section 5: Marketing / 11 / *Marketing Plan
10 / 3/28 / 12 / Case Study Due!
11 / 4/4 / 13
12 / 4/11 / 14 / *Operating Plan
Homework/Quiz 3
13 / 4/18 / Section 6: Managing a Small Firm / 15
14 / 4/25 / 16 / *Financial Plan
Homework/Quiz 4
15 / 5/2 / 17 / *Executive Summary
16 / 5/9 / 18 / *Finish-up plan
Group Discussion
Business Plan due NLT Wednesday, May 9, 2016 @ 6:00pm
Note-- * Are suggested Project Management Dates for your Business Plan
7.0 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. Be sure to keep up with Registrar’s Office deadlines for withdrawing from this course, should your progress fall significantly behind. The record’s office will give 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. If you are still enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office immediately. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an F in the course. Incompletes will be given in this class ONLY if a significant portion of the course has been completed and there is a documented medical or family emergency warranting the incomplete.
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 www.ct.tamus.edu/StudentConduct.