Development of business plans and strategies for launching small enterprises.
Course overview
This course introduces the fundamentals of starting and managing a small business. You will learn how to develop a comprehensive business plan, from identifying a market opportunity to projecting financial outcomes. The focus is on practical strategies for launching a venture, including marketing, operations, and legal considerations.
You will work on a capstone project where you create a business plan for a hypothetical or real small enterprise. This plan will be presented to a panel of instructors and peers, simulating a pitch to potential investors or partners.
Who takes this course
This course is an elective and is open to students in any program who are interested in entrepreneurship. It is particularly popular among students in the Accounting, Business Administration, and Marketing Management programs.
Credits: 3 · Hours: 45
Prerequisites
None
Learning outcomes
- Identify the key components of a viable business plan
- Develop a basic marketing strategy for a new venture
- Calculate start-up costs and project simple financial statements
- Evaluate legal structures and financing options for small businesses
- Present a business concept to a panel of instructors and peers
Evaluation
| Component | Weight (%) |
| Business plan draft | 30 |
| Mid-term case study analysis | 20 |
| Final business plan and pitch presentation | 50 |