ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Program Outline
Major: BNTR
Length: 1 Year
Delivery: 2 Semesters
Credential: Ontario College Graduate Certificate
Effective: 2011 - 2012
Location: Barrie
Start: Summer
Description
Small business is a major driver and contributor to the Canadian economy. This program provides students who want to be entrepreneurs, starting up and growing their own business, with the knowledge and skills to research, create, manage and grow a small business. This program is a practical action-oriented program in entrepreneurship. The program develops your knowledge, enterprising capabilities, and confidence thus helping you to identify opportunities and create and build your own ventures, and to undertake business practices in firms. Comprehensive consultation with entrepreneurs, industry partners, and current students identified a range of attributes and capabilities that will enable you to launch and to manage new ventures, to undertake business practices in firms with a high degree of competency, and to manage and to grow businesses in an entrepreneurial fashion. Career Opportunities
Career opportunities
The opportunities are endless for entrepreneurs. However, if you decide to start off on a more traditional career path, with a foundation in entrepreneurship, you are prepared for key positions in private, public, or not-for-profit organizations. Potential roles include business owner, business operator, or business venture analyst.
Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- analyze the marketplace and use the analysis for decision making in the small business environment;
- develop and implement a small business plan;
- develop and implement a marketing plan including web site marketing and potential entry into international markets;
- research and adhere to government legislation and regulations affecting small business operation and regulatory requirements and current legislation that affect the movement of products or services across international boundaries;
- assess the market entry options for the export of products or services and implement the optimal market entry strategy;
- integrate knowledge of basic legal principles of business operations into the development of the business plan for a new venture;
- establish and maintain appropriate and working relations by using effective human resource management and organizational behaviour skills and knowledge;
- prepare and interpret financial statements based on sound knowledge of business accounting;
- identify and access public and private sources of new venture capital;
- employ environmentally sustainable practices within the industry;
- integrate concepts of Social Entrepreneurship into a business plan for a new or existing venture.
Program Progression
Barrie Campus - Summer Intake*
Sem 1 - Summer 2012
Sem 2 - Fall 2012
Fall 2012
*Note: To confirm Summer (May) start, contact the Office of the Registrar.
Admission Requirements
A minimum of a two-year College diploma is required; or equivalent. A three-year diploma or a university degree is preferred. Graduation Requirements
11 Mandatory Courses
Graduation Eligibility
To graduate from this program, the passing weighted average for promotion through each semester, from year to year and to graduate is 60%. Additionally, a student must attain a minimum of 50% or a letter grade of P (Pass) or S (Satisfactory) in each course in each semester. Mandatory
BNTR1000 Entrepreneurship and New Ventures
BNTR1001 Strategic Management for Entrepreneurial Ventures
BNTR1002 Personal Selling and Networking
BNTR1003 Accounting and Finance in New Ventures
BNTR1004 Employee Recruitment, Development, and Managing
BNTR1005 Marketing Innovations and Planning
BNTR1006 Leadership and Management in New Ventures
BNTR1007 Risk Management
BNTR1008 Business Plan Creation and Presentation
BNTR1009 Living the Entrepreneurial Experience
BNTR1010 Entrepreneurial Launch Pad
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
BNTR1000 Entrepreneurship and New Ventures 42 Hours
The course is designed to help students understand the important role that entrepreneurship plays in the Canadian economy. The course may also help students decide if they have an interest in starting a new venture at some point in the future. Students will learn about themselves to see how entrepreneurship can play a role in their lives. Students will be introduced to concepts in entrepreneurship in the context of not-for-profit, business, and artistic realms. BNTR1001 Strategic Management for Entrepreneurial Ventures 42 Hours
This course will cover the application of strategic decision making and analysis as a means to guide decisions at each stage of the innovation and commercialization process. It is designed to assist students with their new ventures in the complex area of managerial decision making. Students will assess the external environment, as well as the importance of internal administrative activities. They will define the business' mission and objectives, and formulate a viable strategy for start-up. BNTR1002 Personal Selling and Networking 42 Hours
This course covers the techniques of salesmanship and the development of an understanding of and ability to deal with people. Topics will include buying motives, prospecting, planning the sales presentation, handling objections and closing the sale. This course also provides real-world experience where students can practice their networking, and interviewing skills. Students will develop an understanding of how to confidently negotiate and manage conflict within a cultural context, and improve interpersonal and team communications. BNTR1003 Accounting and Finance in New Ventures 42 Hours
The purpose of this financial management course is to prepare students to assume a role as entrepreneur as opposed to an accounting technician or financial specialist. The emphasis is therefore on developing a broad understanding of those accounting and financial management concepts such as: cash flow, sources of financing, financial statement analysis, pricing, inventory management, personal financing, and how to deal with financial institutions. Students develop a sustainable business financial model for their business plan. BNTR1004 Employee Recruitment, Development, and Managing 42 Hours
A major role in managing a business is ensuring that you have the right people, at the right time, doing the right tasks, at the right compensation. Throughout this course we examine the best practices for recruitment, selection, training and development, performance management, terminations as well as ethics - all within an entrepreneurial context. BNTR1005 Marketing Innovations and Planning 42 Hours
This course is designed to introduce students to marketing theory and marketing strategies and their relationship to entrepreneurship. Marketing theory will be contextualized within the concept of the entrepreneurial venture. Students will examine successful start-up ventures and small-to-medium sized enterprises, each with distinct needs and limited marketing budgets. Students will then develop effective marketing strategies for their business plan, including e-commerce and social media marketing. BNTR1006 Leadership and Management for Entrepreneurs 42 Hours
The course provides students with the opportunity to develop a range of soft skills and the business acumen necessary to maximize the likelihood of success in an entrepreneurial environment. Topics include the four fundamental functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. BNTR1007 Risk Management 42 Hours
Risk Management requires the firm to identify opportunities for gain and exposures to unexpected loss. However, as an entrepreneur, managing your personal finances is an important skill. Thus, course topics will include: creating and personal managing budgets; taxes; insurance; and personal estate planning; plus, from a business standpoint - legal forms of ownership; patents; business licenses; contract law; tort law and negligence; consumer law; sale of goods; identification of risk and mitigation strategies. BNTR1008 Business Plan Creation and Presentation 42 Hours
Students will undertake the process of planning and launching a new entrepreneurial venture. This will involve integrating the concepts students have previously studied into a detailed plan for a new product/service that will ensure ongoing viability. Students will then present their business plan to a panel of potential investors. The course will also incorporate the unique curriculum and resources provided by The Kauffman Foundation, through their proprietary and successful program known as FastTrack. BNTR1009 Living the Entrepreneurial Experience 42 Hours
This course will enable students to apply their academic learning to a contemporary workplace situation. Working under the supervision of the faculty in the Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre, students will develop an understanding of how opportunities are identified, selected and developed for the creation of an entrepreneurial endeavour. They will conduct primary and secondary research in order to select a relevant, innovative and scalable opportunity that has the potential to attract the required resources. BNTR1010 Entrepreneurial Launch Pad 84 Hours
Entrepreneurship lab will be the opportunity for students to work one-on-one with a faculty advisor and execute their business plan. This lab will be the hands-on opportunity for students to go out and start their business - meeting with a lawyer, an accountant, a banker, and other professionals - the culmination of ideas and work-to-date in the program. Students may work independently, or with a partner depending on the business opportunity identified.
Adults with significant life and work experience may receive credits toward a college certificate or diploma program through an assessment process.
More information about Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
NOTE: Information contained in College documents respecting programs is correct at the time of publication. Academic content of programs and courses is revised on an ongoing basis to ensure relevance to changing educational objectives and employment market needs. The college reserves the right to add or delete programs, options, courses, timetables or campus locations subject to sufficient enrolment, and the availability of courses.
Last Update: March 08, 2012.