LESSONS

UNIT 1: INVESTIGATING BUSINESS

• 14 WHAT EVERY BUSINESS WANTS? Through a practical activity students define what is meant by business and learn why businesses set themselves aims and objectives, what sort of objectives they set and how they check that they are achieving them.
• 16 BUSINESS OWNERSHIP The aim of this activity is to introduce students to some of the different types of business ownership and to get them thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of each.
• 18 CONSEQUENCES This game makes sure that students are aware of all the different forms of ownership and organisation, including co-operatives, franchises and the public sector.
• 20 LOCATION! LOCATION! Students learn that there are many different factors affecting location. They also learn through discussion and debate that some factors are more important to certain groups than others. Students are also introduced to international and environmental factors in location decisions.
• 22 BUSINESS ACTIVITY Students use a practical exercise to learn the input-process-output model. They learn about the different types of business activity and about the importance of specialisation and interdependence.
• 24 JUST A COG IN THE MACHINE... Students will learn that businesses have a number of different functional areas which must work together to help meet the business’s aims and objectives.
• 26 PIGEON HOLES Students learn that many different jobs are needed in order to keep a business running smoothly, and that specific areas need specific jobs carrying out.
• 28 TALK TO ME! Through a practical exercise students learn that there are many different ways of communicating within a business and between businesses both using, and not using, information technology – and that each is appropriate for certain uses.
• 30 COPING WITH COMPETITION Students learn that all businesses have competitors and that it is important for each business to know who its competitors are, and how it might compete against them.
• 32 THE PERFECT CUSTOMER Students learn, through a game, that businesses are keen to identify who their customers are, so that they can better target them.
• 34 THE ECONOMY Students learn that there are various tools which governments can use to control the economy, and the effect that these have on businesses. This learning is reinforced through students questioning each other.
• 36 THE ENVIRONMENT Students learn that businesses have a duty to try not to spoil the environment and that various bodies exist to make sure that they don’t. Students apply this knowledge to businesses in their local area.

UNIT 2: PEOPLE AND BUSINESS

• 14 THE ELEPHANT RACE Students use a game to identify who are the stakeholders in a business. Through this active exercise they see how stakeholders affect businesses and how they are affected by them.
• 16 JUST THE JOB The aim of this activity is to introduce students to some of the different types of job roles and responsibilities that exist within a business.
• 18 I DO! This activity builds on students’ own knowledge of contracts to demonstrate the key features of a contract between employer and employee.
• 20 RIGHT ON Students learn that there are many different laws which affect both employers and employees and investigate how each of them relates to their chosen business.
• 22 WORKPLACE WAR Students work on identifying how conflicts in the workplace might occur, and on ways in which such conflicts might be resolved.
• 24 GI’US A JOB Students learn about the various steps that both employees – who want to work, and employers – who need people to work for them, have to follow in order to make sure that their needs are met.
• 26 PERSONAL JOB APPLICATIONS Students learn about the qualities employers are looking for and how a business can identify those qualities in job applications.
• 28 MAKING AN IMPRESSION Students use a practical exercise to identify how to make a good impression at an interview, and how not to make a bad one! They write guidelines to help interviewees be successful.
• 30 TRAINING Students identify and describe the different types of training which workers at different stages of their careers are likely to need. They learn about the importance of training to a business.
• 32 ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THAT? The importance of customer service is explored, both to the customer and to the business, through a roleplay activity.
• 34 IT’S THE LAW Students learn, through a comparison of different situations, about consumer protection and why it is important to both the consumer and the business.
• 36 PRESENTER SKILLS A practical activity in which students learn the skills necessary to make a good business presentation by practising presenting material on a hobby or interest of their own.

UNIT 3: BUSINESSFINANCE

• 14 PAPERWORK: B2B Students learn that there are many different documents used in transactions between one business and other businesses and that it is important to use the right ones for the right purposes. They complete an exercise to demonstrate their knowledge.
• 16 PAPERWORK: B2C Students learn that there are a number of different documents that are used in transactions between businesses and their customers. They create flowcharts to demonstrate their knowledge.
• 18 A COSTLY BUSINESS Students learn how businesses make revenue, how they make a profit and the importance of the difference between these. They are also introduced to various types of pricing.
• 20 ENTERPRISING THINKING Students learn about the qualities required for success in a business and about both the planning and costs involved in starting a business.
• 22 SEA VIEW CASHFLOW Students show that businesses need to plan or budget for the future and, in putting together a cashflow forecast, practise a business forecasting technique.
• 24 PROFIT OR LOSS? Students use a practical exercise to identify different types of costs, learn about record keeping in business and how a business works out whether or not it is in profit.
• 26 PAW WARS Students learn how to calculate and demonstrate break even, and of its importance to businesses.
• 28 PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT Students practise constructing and interpreting a profit and loss account in order to show that they have the understanding necessary for examination success.
• 30 BALANCE SHEETS Successful students will learn what a balance sheet is, how it may be used and be able to construct one from a set of figures that are provided.
• 32 WHO CARES? Successful students will learn why stakeholders are interested in businesses and what sort of information and documentation each of them might be interested in.
• 34 UNTANGLING FINANCES Students learn about the different sources of finance available to a business and which sources are suitable for different situations.
• 36 WHAT’S MY LINE? Students use active learning to acquire specialist financial terms and understand where to use them.