Sarah Hilton has been a business examiner for over 20 years and a business teacher for longer. She is now a teacher trainer, business teacher and qualification developer. She runs the website revisionstation which provides smashing business teaching resources at budget prices.
Sarah Hilton has been a business examiner for over 20 years and a business teacher for longer. She is now a teacher trainer, business teacher and qualification developer. She runs the website revisionstation which provides smashing business teaching resources at budget prices.
AQA A Level Business (Spec version 2.0) Unit 3.2 Managers, leadership and decision management (3 complete lessons)
3.2.1 Understanding management, leadership and decision making
3.2.2 Understanding management decision making
3.2.3 Understanding the role and importance of stakeholders
PowerPoints and student worksheets
Pearson Edexcel International A Level Business Unit 2.3.3 Managing Finance (3 complete lessons)
1 Profit
a) Calculation of:
• gross profit
• operating profit
• profit for the year (net profit).
b) Ways to increase profits.
c) Statement of comprehensive income (profit and loss account):
• measuring profitability: calculation of gross profit margin, operating profit margin, and profit for the year (net profit) margin
• ways to improve profitability.
2 Liquidity
a) Distinction between profit and cash.
b) Statement of financial position (balance sheet):
• measuring liquidity: calculating current ratio and acid test ratio
• ways to improve liquidity, including assets, supplier credit terms, factoring, inventory JIT.
c) Working capital and its management: the importance of cash.
3 Business failure
a) Internal causes of business failure:
• poor management of cash flow
• overestimation of sales
• overtrading
• poor inventory control
• poor marketing
• poor quality.
b) External causes of business failure:
• market conditions
• competition
• economic
• exchange rates
• interest rates
• government regulations
• supplier problems
• natural phenomena.
2.3.1
Profit
a) Calculation of:
o gross profit
o operating profit
o profit for the year (net profit)
b) Statement of comprehensive income (profit and loss
account):
o measuring profitability:
calculation of gross profit margin, operating profit
margin, and profit for the year (net profit) margin
o ways to improve profitability
c) Distinction between profit and cash
2.3.2
Liquidity
a) Statement of financial position (balance sheet):
o measuring liquidity:
calculating current ratio and acid test ratio
o ways to improve liquidity
b) Working capital and its management: the importance of
cash
2.3.3
Business failure
a) Internal and external causes of business failure:
o financial factors
o non-financial factors
1.1.1
The market
a) Mass markets and niche markets:
o characteristics
o market size and market share
o brands
b) Dynamic markets:
o online retailing
o how markets change
o innovation and market growth
o adapting to change
c) How competition affects the market
d) The difference between risk and uncertainty
1.1.2
Market research
a) Product and market orientation
b) Primary and secondary market research data
(quantitative and qualitative) used to:
o identify and anticipate customer needs and wants
o quantify likely demand
o gain insight into consumer behaviour
c) Limitations of market research, sample size and bias
d) Use of ICT to support market research:
o websites
o social networking
o databases
e) Market segmentation
1.1.3
Market positioning
a) Market mapping
b) Competitive advantage of a product or service
c) The purpose of product differentiation
Pearson Edexcel International A Level Business Unit 2.3.4 Resource Management (4 Complete Lessons)
1 Production, productivity and efficiency
a) Methods of production:
• job
• batch
• flow
• cell.
b) Productivity:
• output per unit of input per time period
• factors influencing productivity
• link between productivity and competitiveness
• ways to improve productivity.
c) Efficiency:
• production at minimum average cost
• factors influencing efficiency
• ways to improve efficiency.
d) The distinction between labour- and capital-intensive production.
e) Competitive advantage from short product lead-in times.
2 Capacity utilisation
a) Capacity utilisation: current output (divided by) maximum possible output (× 100).
b) Implications of under- and over-utilisation of capacity.
c) Ways of improving capacity utilisation (under and over utilisation).
3 Inventory control
a) Interpretation of inventory control diagram.
b) Buffer inventory.
c) Implications of poor inventory control.
d) Just in time (JIT).
e) Waste minimisation.
f) Competitive advantage from lean production.
4 Quality management
a) Quality:
• control
• assurance
• circles.
b) Total Quality Management (TQM).
c) Continuous improvement (Kaizen).
d) Competitive advantage from quality management.
This is part of the Access to HE Geography and Environmental science course and is conservation.
The resource consists of six PowerPoints and one worksheet activity.
1.1 Reasons for conservation
2.1 Interests impacted by conservation
2.2 Ecological principals
2.3 Role of zoos and Botanical gardens
3.1 Role of organisations
3.2 Conflicts of interest
BTEC National Level 3 Business Unit 20
2016 (current) specification
Investigating Corporate Social
Responsibility
This bundle covers:
A Examine the CSR issues facing large private sector businesses
B Investigate the benefits and drawbacks for businesses of adopting a CSR policy
C Review the CSR record of a private sector business.
There is a PowerPoint for every single learning aim and a worksheet to match it.
2.4.1
Production,
productivity and
efficiency
a) Methods of production:
o job
o batch
o flow
o cell
b) Productivity:
o output per unit of input per time period:
factors influencing productivity
link between productivity and competitiveness
c) Efficiency:
o production at minimum average cost:
factors influencing efficiency
distinction between labour and capital intensive
production
2.4.2
Capacity utilisation
a) Capacity utilisation:
o current output (divided by) maximum possible output
(x 100)
b) Implications of under- and over-utilisation of capacity
c) Ways of improving capacity utilisation
2.4.3
Stock control
a) Interpretation of stock control diagram
b) Buffer stocks
c) Implications of poor stock control
d) Just in time (JIT) management of stock
e) Waste minimisation
f) Competitive advantage from lean production
2.4.4
Quality
management
a) Quality:
o control
o assurance
o circles
o Total Quality Management (TQM)
b) Continuous improvement (Kaizen)
c) Competitive advantage from quality management
1.3.1
Product/service
design
a) Design mix:
o function
o aesthetics
o cost
b) Changes in the elements of the design mix to reflect
social trends:
o concern over resource depletion: designing for waste
minimisation, re-use and recycling
o ethical sourcing
1.3.2
Branding and
promotion
a) Types of promotion
b) Types of branding
c) The benefits of strong branding:
o added value
o ability to charge premium prices
o reduced price elasticity of demand
d) Ways to build a brand
o unique selling points (USPs)/differentiation
o advertising
o sponsorship
o the use of social media
e) Changes in branding and promotion to reflect social
trends:
o viral marketing
o social media
o emotional branding
1.3.3
Pricing strategies
a) Types of pricing strategy:
o cost plus (calculating mark-up on unit cost)
o price skimming
o penetration
o predatory
o competitive
o psychological
b) Factors that determine the most appropriate pricing
strategy for a particular situation:
o number of USPs/amount of differentiation
o price elasticity of demand
o level of competition in the business environment
o strength of brand
o stage in the product life cycle
o costs and the need to make a profit
c) Changes in pricing to reflect social trends:
o online sales
o price comparison sites
1.3.4
Distribution
a) Distribution channels
b) Changes in distribution to reflect social trends:
o online distribution
o changing from product to service
1.3.5
Marketing strategy
a) The product life cycle
b) Extension strategies:
o product
o promotion
c) Boston Matrix and the product portfolio
d) Marketing strategies appropriate for different types of
market:
o mass markets
o niche markets
o business to business (B2B) and business to
consumer (B2C) marketing
e) Consumer behaviour – how businesses develop
customer loyalty
1.4.1
Approaches to
staffing
a) Staff as an asset; staff as a cost
b) Flexible workforce:
o multi-skilling
o part-time and temporary
o flexible hours and home working
o outsourcing
c) Distinction between dismissal and redundancy
d) Employer/employee relationships
o individual approach
o collective bargaining
1.4.2
Recruitment,
selection and
training
a) Recruitment and selection process:
o internal versus external recruitment
b) Costs of recruitment, selection and training
c) Types of training:
o induction
o on-the-job
o off-the-job
1.4.3
Organisational
design
a) Structure:
o hierarchy
o chain of command
o span of control
o centralised and decentralised
b) Types of structure:
o tall
o flat
o matrix
c) Impact of different organisational structures on business
efficiency and motivation
1.4.4
Motivation in theory
and practice
a) The importance of employee motivation to a business
b) Motivation theories:
o Taylor (scientific management)
o Mayo (human relations theory)
o Maslow (hierarchy of needs)
o Herzberg (two factor theory)
c) Financial incentives to improve employee performance:
o piecework
o commission
o bonus
o profit share
o performance-related pay
d) Non-financial techniques to improve employee
performance:
o delegation
o consultation
o empowerment
o team working
o flexible working
o job enrichment
o job rotation
o job enlargement
1.4.5
Leadership
a) Leadership:
o the distinction between management and leadership
b) Types of leadership style:
o autocratic
o paternalistic
o democratic
o laissez-faire
2.2.1
Sales forecasting
a) Purpose of sales forecasts
b) Factors affecting sales forecasts:
o consumer trends
o economic variables
o actions of competitors
c) Difficulties of sales forecasting
2.2.2
Sales, revenue and
costs
a) Calculation of sales volume and sales revenue
b) Calculation of fixed and variable costs
2.2.3
Break-even
a) Contribution: selling price – variable cost per unit
b) Break-even point:
o total fixed costs + total variable costs = total
revenue
c) Using contribution to calculate the break-even point
d) Margin of safety
e) Interpretation of break-even charts
f) Limitations of break-even analysis
2.2.4
Budgets
a) Purpose of budgets
b) Types of budget:
o historical figures
o zero based
c) Variance analysis
d) Difficulties of budgeting
2.1.1
Internal finance
a) Owner’s capital: personal savings
b) Retained profit
c) Sale of assets
2.1.2
External finance
a) Sources of finance:
o family and friends
o banks
o peer-to-peer funding
o business angels
o crowd funding
o other businesses
b) Methods of finance:
o loans
o share capital
o venture capital
o overdrafts
o leasing
o trade credit
o grants
2.1.3
Liability
a) Implications of limited and unlimited liability
b) Finance appropriate for limited and unlimited liability
businesses
2.1.4
Planning
a) Relevance of a business plan in obtaining finance
b) Interpretation of a simple cash-flow forecast and
calculations based on changes in the cash-flow variables
c) Use and limitations of a cash-flow forecast
1.2.1
Demand
a) Factors leading to a change in demand:
o changes in the prices of substitutes and
complementary goods
o changes in consumer incomes
o fashions, tastes and preferences
o advertising and branding
o demographics
o external shocks
o seasonality
1.2.2
Supply
a) Factors leading to a change in supply:
o changes in the costs of production
o introduction of new technology
o indirect taxes
o government subsidies
o external shocks
1.2.3
Markets
a) The interaction of supply and demand
b) The drawing and interpretation of supply and demand
diagrams to show the causes and consequences of price
changes
1.2.4
Price elasticity of
demand
a) Calculation of price elasticity of demand
b) Interpretation of numerical values of price elasticity of
demand
c) The factors influencing price elasticity of demand
d) The significance of price elasticity of demand to
businesses in terms of implications for pricing
e) Calculation and interpretation of the relationship
between price elasticity of demand and total revenue
1.2.5
Income elasticity of
demand
a) Calculation of income elasticity of demand
b) Interpretation of numerical values of income elasticity of
demand
c) The factors influencing income elasticity of demand
d) The significance of income elasticity of demand to
businesses
Pearson Edexcel International A Level Business Unit 2.3.2 Financial Planning (5 complete lessons)
1 Sales, revenue and costs
a) Calculation of sales volume and sales revenue.
b) Calculation of fixed, variable costs, total costs and average costs.
c) Ways of improving sales volumes and sales revenues.
2 Sales forecasting
a) Purpose of sales forecasts.
b) Factors affecting sales forecasts:
• consumer trends
• economic variables
• actions of competitors.
c) Difficulties of sales forecasting.
3 Break-even
a) Contribution: selling price − variable cost per unit.
b) Break-even point:
• total fixed costs + total variable costs = total revenue.
c) Using contribution to calculate the break-even point.
d) Margin of safety.
e) Interpretation of break-even charts.
f) Limitations of break-even analysis.
4 Cash flow
a) Construction and interpretation of simple cash-flow forecasts.
b) Use and limitations of cash-flow forecasts.
5 Budgets
a) Purposes of budgets.
b) Types of budget:
• based on historical figures
• zero based.
c) Variance analysis.
d) Difficulties of budgeting
1.5.1
Role of an
entrepreneur
a) Creating and setting up a business
b) Running and expanding/developing a business
c) Innovation within a business (intrapreneurship)
d) Barriers to entrepreneurship
e) Anticipating risk and uncertainty in the business
environment
1.5.2
Entrepreneurial
motives and
characteristics
a) Characteristics and skills required
b) Reasons why people set up businesses:
o financial motives: profit maximisation and profit
satisficing
o non-financial motives: ethical stance, social
entrepreneurship, independence and home working
1.5.3
Business objectives
a) Survival
b) Profit maximisation
c) Other objectives:
o sales maximisation
o market share
o cost efficiency
o employee welfare
o customer satisfaction
o social objectives
1.5.4
Forms of business
a) Sole trader, partnership and private limited company
b) Franchising, social enterprise, lifestyle businesses, online
businesses
c) Growth to PLC and stock market flotation
1.5.5
Business choices
a) Opportunity cost
b) Choices and potential trade-offs
1.5.6
Moving from
entrepreneur to
leader
a) The difficulties in developing from an entrepreneur to a leader
