My office is located on the Kellogg Community College Battle Creek campus in the Ohm Information Technology Center, 201D.

OR

You can contact me by telephone or email to make an appointment.  It is best to contact me via the course discussion board or email.  I will respond to email within two working days or sooner.  Email:  weimerk@kellogg.edu

Recommended: 1 USB 128 MB Memory Stick and 1 Notebook - Binder

Required on campus sessions:   1 (for completion of the exam)

Discussion Question Assignments: 12 (1 set of questions each week)

Business Plan Development Activities: 14 (1 per chapter unit)

Business Plan Presentation & Critique: 1

Estimated time per week:  8 hours per week in a 12 week session

Group interaction required:  Yes, using Blackboard's Discussion Board

Scheduled activities or self paced:  Scheduled activities for each week.

Requirements: 

Students must have access to the following:

• Equipment:  You will need a computer that is able to access and interact with the Web. For best results, a Pentium or PowerMac with a 56 Kbps or faster modem and 256 MB or more of RAM should be considered the minimal system.
• Software:  You will need one of the following Internet browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher; Firefox; Mac users may use Safari or Firefox.
• Internet connection: Home users need Internet access through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers a reliable connection to the Internet.

Other requirements: 

1. Describe your interests and capabilities.

2. Identify a need for a product or service related to your interests and capabilities.

3. Determine if the idea for this business is legal.

4. Determine if this business idea is ethical.

5. Determine your potential for success in starting and running your business.

6. Demonstrate your interests and abilities to be successful in an executive summary.

B.  Develop a feasible idea for a business (review and expansion of BUEN 100 outcomes)

1. Use creativity in business activities/decisions.

2. Assess start-up requirements.

3. Assess risks associated with venture.

4. Explain the complexity of business operations.

5. Evaluate risk-taking opportunities.

6. Develop and/or provide product/service.

7. Use creativity in business activities/decisions.

8. Classify the nature of the business.

9. Develop exit strategies.

10. Evaluate business acquisitions options.

11. Identify company goals/objectives.

12. Identify business mission.

13. Forecast income/sales.

14. Discuss break-even analysis.

15. Determine financing needed to start a business.

16. Explain the complexity of business operations.

C. Identify and use tools to determine feasibility of the business.

1. Identify tools used by entrepreneurs for venture planning.

2. Use external resources useful to entrepreneurs during concept development.

3. Assess the need to use external resources for concept development.

4. Discuss competitive analysis.

5. Review estimated/projected balance sheet.

D. Identify and use resources needed for developing the business idea.

1. Distinguish between debt and equity financing for venture creation.

2. Select sources to finance venture creation/start-up.

3. Select sources of business loans.

4. Assess the costs/benefits associated with the resources.

5. Use external resources to supplement entrepreneur's expertise.

E. Develop and use strategies to support the business.

1. Describe processes used to acquire adequate financial resources for venture creation/start-up.

2. Describe strategies to protect intellectual property.

3. Explain factors to consider in determining a venture's human-resource needs.

4. Explain the need for business systems and procedures.

5. Describe the use of operating procedures.

6. Explain methods/processes for organizing work flow.

7. Explain the impact of resource productivity on venture success.

8. Create processes for ongoing opportunity recognition.

9. Discuss methods for adapting to changes in business environment.

10. Describe methods of venture harvesting.

F. Build a business plan.

1. Create a business mission statement.

2. Design a business plan outline.

3. Produce an executive summary.

4. Compose business objectives.

5. Determine the organizational structure of the business.

6. Formulate a competitive analysis for the business.

7. Provide a strategy for achieving the stated objectives.

8. Determine the products and services to be offered by the business.

9. Create a sales and marketing plan for the business.

10. Relate the value of customer service to the success of the organization.

11. Develop a plan for operations and fulfillment.

G. Track financials and security of the business.

1. Formulate a financial projection for the business.

2. Create a starting balance sheet for the business.

3. Produce a profit and loss projection for the business.

4. Develop a cash flow projection for the business.

5. Organize a plan for continued balance sheet projections of the business.

6. Use financial analysis tools for the business.

7. Demonstrate the potential resources of start-up financing.

H. Evaluate the complete business plan.

1. Develop a presentation of the business idea.

2. Create a comprehensive presentation of the business plan.

3. Critique the business plan regularly in the changing business environment.

Discussion questions, business planning activities, and the development of a business plan, critiquing of the business plan, and the presentation of the business plan.

Discussion Questions: Discussion questions are assigned from each chapter.  These activities have a total value of three hundred (300) points (30% of the final course grade).

Business Plan and Supporting Activities:  Each student must complete a business plan using software provided, as part of the course.  Business planning activities are designed to direct students to relevant articles and journals to support the development business plan.  These activities are assigned for each chapter.  The business plan is the primary outcome for the course and has a total value of three hundred (300) points (30% of the final course grade).

Business Plan Presentation:  The presentation and critique of the business plan are critical aspects of the course, and the business plan activity.  These activities have a total value of two hundred (200) points (20% of the final course grade).

94-90 A-

89-87 B+

86-83 B

82-80 B-

79-77 C+

76-73 C

72-70 C-

69-67 D+

66-63 D

62-60 D-

Below 60 F

The above values represent the percentage of earned points, out of 1000 points possible.