Entrepreneurship/New Venture Management
Bus. 636 (Evening) Fall Semester: 2006
Classes (Tuesdays @ 6:30pm – 9:15pm), Room 334 Professor: Charles F. Goetz Cell Phone: (404) 966-6315 Email: ssgceo@aol.com (Or First Class) T.B.D.
Teacher Assistant:
Meetings: Set by appointment.
Course Overview:
This course is a first level overview of entrepreneurship. It is designed for students interested in learning the art and science of becoming a successful entrepreneur. As a result of this course, you will learn how to improve your likelihood for success in investing in both yours and other startup businesses. The information obtained in the course will also be valuable for individuals looking to consult to small businesses and for employees of large companies who want to add a new business division to their present company. We will study the rationale, process and tools for building a business, from the idea generation stage through the exit (valuation) stage. The class will focus on real life examples of both successful and failed entrepreneurial ventures and identify critical factors that led to both outcomes. The primary deliverables of the course will be a comprehensive business plan and investor presentation. The course will integrate all your primary business disciplines studied to date including but not limited to marketing, finance, operations, management, market research, and strategy.
Course Requirements:
Students (with their team) will be responsible for developing and prioritizing new business concepts, building a comprehensive business plan for either an entrepreneurial business or an expansion of an existing business. Special emphasis will be put on need identification, product development, creativity, problem solving, planning, marketing/selling, financial projecting and funding of a new venture. By the completion of the course, students will have learned how to reduce their risk in starting a new venture and increase their likelihood for return. You will be able to develop and present a new business concept in an effective oral and written manner that will increase significantly their likelihood of obtaining funding, and their venture’s success.
Methods:
The course will use a variety of instructive processes. They include case write ups, major course project and presentation, team and individual assignments, guest speakers, exercises, external interviews and active class participation.
Textbook:
Reiss, Bob, “Low Risk, High Reward”, The Free Press, 2000
(LRHR)
Teams:
We will form teams of 1-6 people. The teams will serve the following purposes: 1) Work together on smaller class projects, and 2) Help assist each other with the building and presentation of their team’s business plan.
Student Requirements:
Students must be prepared for class. This means: 1) You are in class by 6:30pm and NOT LATE 2) All assignments due that day are handed in at the start of the class 3) All readings required are completed and you are prepared to lead a discussion of it in class 4) You are an active participant in class discussions.
Performance Criteria and Evaluation:
Grading Components:
Class Participation: 35% (105 Points) Team Business Plan: 25% ( 75 Points) Team Projects: 15% ( 45 Points) Individual Assignments: 25% ( 75 Points) _________________________________________________________________________
Class Information:
Students should start brainstorming on new business concepts and develop a list of ideas prior to the start of class. - All readings and assignments presented are DUE on the date they are shown on the syllabus! - All articles can be found in Study.net.
IMPORTANT: The following must be completed for the Sept. 12th class:
Readings: The Rise and Fall of The J. Peterman Company by John Peterman
Individual Assignment (1): Attached with this email.
(BUILDING BLOCKS)
September 12, 2006 Course Introduction - Overview of Course - Discuss Students Experiences - BREAK (Discuss teams) Creativity and Innovation - Creative Techniques - Problem Identification - Choose Teams (Should be emailed prior to next class)
September 19, 2006 Road Map - Structured Methodology for New Business - BREAK Guest Speaker
(PRE-STARTUP)
September. 26, 2006 Need Analysis I - What attributes makes a product successful - BREAK Guest Speaker
October 3, 2006 Need Analysis II - Have to Know Questions - Value Proposition - BREAK Guest Speaker
October 10, 2006 NO CLASS – FALL BREAK
Oct. 17, 2006 Business Plan Overview - What Makes A Good Business Plan - BREAK Competitive Analysis
October 24, 2006 Marketing and Sales - Marketing Tools - Sales Strategies - BREAK Guest Speaker
October 31, 2006 Financial Projections I - Assumptions - BREAK Financial Projections II - Development Detail - Student Business Plan Discussion
(FUNDING)
Nov. 7, 2006 Funding I Guest Speaker Amount Needed Rationale For Stages of Funding Venture Capital Rationale for Choosing Investors o Board Members BREAK
November 14, 2006 Team Presentation Overview - Elevator Presentations Guest Speaker
(STARTUP FIRST 90 DAYS)
November 21, 2006 Legal Requirements (Guest Speakers) - Corporate Entities - Business Contracts - Patents, Copyrights, etc. - BREAK Getting Off to A Good Start - Launching A Company - Identifying Key Steps
November 28, 2006 Team Presentations (4 Teams) - Individual Investment Analysis
December 5, 2006 Team Presentation (4 Teams) - Individual Investment Analysis
(See Next Page For Assignments)
Assignments
(R) = Reading, (I) = Individual Assignments, (T) = Team Assignments Date Due: Sept. 12 Assignment R- The Rise and Fall of J. Peterman Company by John Peterman I- Mega Bucks (Attached to Email) R- Knowing A Winning Business Idea When You See One – by W. Chan Kim I- 2 Concepts R- Understanding User Needs – Harvard Bus. School T- Top 3 Team Ideas (Expanded) T - Entrepreneur Interviews R- LRHR Chapters 2 - 4 R- How to Write A Winning Business Plan – by Stanley Rich R- LRHR Chapters 5-8 T- Survey Design R- Venture Capital Negotiations VC versus Entrepreneur – by Harvard Bus. School I- Financial Projections
Sept. 19
Sept. 26
Oct. 3
Oct. 17
Oct. 31 Nov. 14
Nov. 28 TEAMS HAND IN BUSINESS PLAN & FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS I- Investment Analysis of Other Teams’ Presentations Dec. 5 I- Investment Analysis of Other Teams’ Presentations
GRADE COMPONENTS
Individual Assignments Mega Bucks 2 Ideas Financial Analysis Review of Other Team’s B. Plan Pres. Total Team Projects Entrepreneur Interviews Team Ideas Ranked Development of Survey Total Team Bus. Plan & Presentations Business Plan Total Class Participation Class Participation 10 15 35 15 75 20 10 15 45 75 75 105 -----------
Total Grading Points:
300