1. Business Activity & Influences on Business

Business Objectives

Financial & Non-financial Objectives

Reasons why Business Objectives may Change

Types of Organisations

Sole Traders & Partnerships

Private & Public Limited Companies

Business Size & Characteristics

Other Forms of Business Organisation

Choosing Appropriate Business Ownership

Classification of Businesses

Primary, Secondary & Tertiary Business Sectors

Decisions on Location

The Importance of Business Location

The Impact of the Internet on Location Decisions

Legal Factors & Location

Business & the International Economy

Globalisation

Growth of Multinationals

Exchange Rates

Government Objectives & Policies

Government Objectives

Government Spending

Government Impacts on Business

Interest Rates

External Factors

External Factors that Impact Business Decisions

What Makes a Business Successful?

Measuring Business Success

Reasons for Business Failure

2. People in Business

Internal & External Communication

How Communication Takes Place in Business

The Importance of Good Communication

Barriers to Communication

Recruitment & Selection Process

Types of Employment

Recruitment Documents

Internal & External Recruitment

Legal Controls over Employment

Training

The Importance of Training

On & Off the job Training

Motivation & Rewards

The Importance of Motivation

Motivation Theories

How Businesses Motivate Employees

Organisation Structure & Employees

Organisational Charts

The Roles & Responsibilities of Employees

The Functional Areas of Business

3. Business Finance

Sources of Finance

The Need for Finance

Internal Sources of Finance

External Sources of Finance

Cash flow Forecasting

The Importance of Cash

Calculating Cash Flow Forecasts

Interpreting Cash Flow Forecasts

Costs & Break-even Analysis

Revenue, Costs & Profit

The Concept of Break-even

Calculating Break-even

Break-even Charts

Financial Documents

Statement of Comprehensive Income

Statement of Financial Position

Analysis of Accounts

Accounting Ratios

Liquidity

Using Financial Documents

4. Marketing

Market Research

The Purpose of Market Research

Methods of Market Research

The Use of Data in Market Research

The Market

The Importance of Marketing

Responding to Changing Market Conditions

Market Segmentation

The Marketing Mix

The Marketing Mix: Product

Product Life Cycle

Portfolio Analysis

The Marketing Mix: Price

Pricing Strategies

The Marketing Mix: Place

Retailing & E-tailing

The Marketing Mix: Promotion

Promotional Strategies

Above & Below the line Promotion

Public Relations

The Use of Technology in Promotion

The Importance of Building a Brand

5. Business Operations

Economies & Diseconomies of Scale

Economies of Scale

Diseconomies of Scale

Production

Methods of Production

Capital & Labour Intensive Production

Productivity

Principles of Lean Production

The Impact of Technology in Production

Factors of Production

The Four Factors of Production

Quality

The Importance of Quality