Managing Your Business

Individual portfolio including
1) case study analysis of the start-up/management of an existing business including action plan
reflective accounts on your learning experience and action plan.
Format:
Your assignments should be presented in a report format rather than an essay style (eg. acceptable to use headings, bullets and numbering

This assignment is about the context of starting up and running a small business in the world of 2013/14. It’s about the bigger picture of why and how businesses start and survive (or not!) and what potential or existing owner managers need to consider.
You will need to have an understanding of the business environment in which businesses start and run and be able to set that into context for different areas, sectors and stages of business growth. You will need to understand the macro and micro issues that impact on businesses and the responses they will need to plan, action and manage because of this.
This module focuses on small businesses but they can’t operate in isolation. Many small businesses start, survive and grow because they are in the supply chain of larger organisations both public and private sector and what happens to the larger organisations has a direct impact on their supply chain.

Many small businesses supply products and services directly to the public. They therefore rely on consumer spending power and confidence. Again owner managers need to understand the bigger picture of what impacts on consumer spending power and confidence and how that impacts on their business.
So this assignment asks you to develop information demonstrating your understanding of this business environment and then applying that specifically to a small business example.
The learning outcomes for this module guide you towards the skills and knowledge that this module is addressing. Your portfolio needs to show you can identify, critically evaluate, outline & justify and demonstrate understanding. You will need to demonstrate this in a general way and then more specifically in the context of specific sectors and businesses.
Your portfolio needs to be a cohesive piece of work that links and makes full use of reflective learning accounts and appendices to showcases your research.
The assignment word count indicator is set at 1500 words for a reason.It should be supported by appropriate reading and research that is used in the portfolio and is referenced in a bibliography.
So specifically you will look at the current business environment and impact on small businesses locally/regionally.  To help you research and contextualise the local/ regional business environment you will work with a small business to develop an in depth understanding of the sector in which they work and their current business environment, problems, issues, risks and opportunities. You will then set this into context for their business by developing a case study to an agreed format (approx. 750 words)
You will also need to complete reflective accounts on all the activities that you carry out to bring this assignment together. These statements will help you reflect on your learning experience and demonstrate that you can identify, critically evaluate, outline & justify and demonstrate understanding as required to meet the learning outcomes.
You can develop the visual format of your portfolio yourself but it should be something of a quality and presentation that is appropriate for the business market.
Your portfolio should contain:
A case study of a small business as specified above including an action plan for them to start or grow more effectively
A set of reflective statements that demonstrate the skills and knowledge indicated above
An appropriate bibliography showing your research to develop this case study and reflect on your own entrepreneurial characteristics and learning
Appendices with evidence of the research etc that you collated in carrying out this work with explanation where appropriate