GCSE Business Studies

Scheme of Work
• Unit 1 Setting up a Business
 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Business Studies / Scheme of Work Unit 1 / Version 10

GCSE BUSINESS STUDIES

SCHEME OF WORK

The purpose of this scheme of work is to provide advice and guidance to teachers, not to
prescribe and restrict approaches to the delivery of the specification. Please bear in mind that
there is no requirement to use this scheme of work. All items included are suggestions and
intended to provide guidance.

ALLOCATION OF TEACHING HOURS

This scheme of work is based on an average of 2 ½ hours’ contact time each week, and a 32
week teaching year giving a total teaching time of 80 hours.

RESOURCES

Business Studies published by Nelson Thornes (ISBN 978-1-4085-0435-2)

Setting Up a Business by Denby & Hamman published by Hodder Education (ISBN 978-0-340-
97492-6)

The following websites may provide useful content or links:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/business/ has good basic content.

http://www.businessstudiesonline.co.uk/ has some useful fun activities and may provide you
with ideas so that you can develop your own.

http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/ for some applied concepts

http://sixthsense.osfc.ac.uk/business/index.asp Oldham 6th form college has produced some

student friendly resources

http://www.tes.co.uk/ has resources that you can download following free registration. You can
also upload your own ideas for others to use.

http://www.businessballs.com/ is complex but you can get some interesting ideas from here

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 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Business Studies / Scheme of Work Unit 1 / Version 10

UNIT ONE, SETTING UP A BUSINESS (TOTAL TIME ALLOCATION: 80 HOURS)

APPROX.
CONTENT RESOURCES AND OTHER GUIDANCE
HOURS
1 Starting a Business Enterprise Some discussion about the nature of business linking to types of
Candidates should be aware of what a business is (within business. Producing goods and services.
the service, primary and manufacturing sectors) Unit may be introduced by inviting in outside business people. Local
Enterprise and entrepreneurs, risk and rewards, motives for businesses / entrepreneurs.
5
becoming an entrepreneur. Activity to encourage candidates to work in teams / individually to
devise own business idea.
Strengths and weaknesses: What a venture capitalist looks for in an
investment opportunity - news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4439788.stm
2 Business Aims and Objectives Candidates can make themselves familiar with the role of objectives
• types in running a business and how success is judged by how well
• purpose objectives are realised, by applying chosen objectives to their own
• measures of success business.
5
• influence of the stakeholder Candidates can investigate well known businesses and their
objectives.
A discussion may help the understanding of the importance of
stakeholders in influencing the objectives of their small business.
3 Business Planning Candidates can be made aware of the type of information that is
• content required in a business plan, and its function in terms of determining
the feasibility of the business and the plan’s use in attracting
• purpose finance.
• uncertainty and risk Whereas time needs to be spent on understanding the main
sections of a business plan, the emphasis should be placed it being 5
a tool to aid an entrepreneur.

Candidates may draw up a business plan, but as an aid to

understanding the need for planning rather than as an exercise in
itself.

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 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Business Studies / Scheme of Work Unit 1 / Version 10

4 Choosing the Appropriate Legal Structure for the

Business
• sole traders
• partnerships
• private limited companies. The appropriateness of 5
gaining limited liability status
• the benefits and drawbacks of the different legal
structures

5 Franchising Candidates may investigate the range of franchise opportunities

Relative merits and drawbacks of a franchise to start up a
business.
6 Choosing the Location of the Business
• factors influencing start-up location decisions
available, by visiting the web site of franchise operations..
There is a good deal of material on franchises at: Franchise Expo – 3
www.franchiseexpo.co.uk and
The British Franchise Association www.thebfa.org.uk
Candidates may identify and analyse the most appropriate location
for their own businesses or investigate the reasons for the location 3
of existing businesses in their own locality.

7 Conducting Market Research. The Times 100 - www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theory--market-

Market Research for Small Businesses; purpose & research--315.php. The Market Research Society’s Introduction to
methods. Methods of primary, secondary research, factors MR: www.mrs.org.uk/mrindustry/downloads/newcomers.pdf.
influencing small business / start – ups using appropriate Opportunity for candidates to research their own idea / new ideas /
methods of market research likely to be used by a small existing businesses in local area. NB size of business.
10
business, including:
• telephone and other surveys
• questionnaires
• customer/supplier feedback

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 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Business Studies / Scheme of Work Unit 1 / Version 10
8 Using the Marketing Mix
Elements of the mix:
• product
• price
• promotion
• place
Candidates should consider what are suitable combinations
of the 4Ps and the impact of e-commerce.
9 Finance and Support for a Small Business
• sources of finance
• types of advice available to small businesses
• candidates to be familiar with the main sources of
finance available to a small business, including:
bank loans and mortgages, loans from friends and
family, retained profits and grants from voluntary
organisations
10 Financial Terms.
Candidates should understand the terms: price, sales,
revenue, costs and profit and the relationship between
these. Candidates should be able to perform simple
calculations based on these figures.
11 Using Cash Flow.
Candidates should be able to interpret a simple cash flow
statement or forecast and need to be able to consider
possible solutions to cash flow problems.
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Looking at local examples and small businesses that are web
based / serve local area.
Lesson per element of the mix with a “summary” to bring the
concept together and relate it to the marketing budget available.
7
Visiting speaker from local bank / literature from bank & other
organisations. Local chambers of commerce
4
www.smallbusinessadvice.org.uk/busplan/suplan.asp.
Some simple calculations based on Profit = Sales – Costs.
4
Emphasis should be spend on the interpretation of the cash flow,
and possible solutions to any issues identified, rather than on its
construction.
www.bized.co.uk/educators/level2/finance/activity/cashflow12.htm 4
. Business Link offers some reasons why firms forecast their cash
flow:
www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES
&itemId=1076801242.
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12 Recruitment Practical advice from Business Link on employing different types

Candidates should understand the suitable ways by which
small businesses might recruit employees.
13 Motivating Staff
• benefits of good motivation
• motivation methods used by small businesses
Candidates should understand the benefits of having well-
motivated staff and suitable methods by which small
businesses might motivate their employees. Candidates to
understand the benefits to organisations from a culture of
life-long learning.
14 Protecting Staff through Understanding Legislation
• equal pay and minimum wage laws
• employment rights
• consumer protection
• health and safety
Candidates to have a working knowledge of the legal
aspects of operating a small business – not the law in detail.
of worker:
www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l1=1073858787&to
picId=1079568262&r.s=tl.
Local newspaper advertisements, local shop window
advertisements.
Candidates may evaluate job opportunities from their own
perspective 6
Lots of sources for the basic process, but use some small
business examples. Useful information is available at:
http://www.hrmguide.co.uk/hrm/chap8/ch8-links.html. The focus
should be on getting the right people. There is a lot of information
on training at the Businessballs site, which also offers hyperlinks
to other useful information -
http://www.businessballs.com/traindev.htm
An excellent portal for this subject is a page at Businessballs:
http://www.businessballs.com/motivation.htm.
5
3

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 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Business Studies / Scheme of Work Unit 1 / Version 10

15 Production Methods Candidates could be involved in making items in groups – some

• service Sector operating a batch system, some a job production system.
• job and batch production 5
• efficiency and technology

16 Customer Service.
Candidates should be aware of the importance to small
businesses of providing a good service to customers.
Candidates should have an understanding of the need for
appropriate levels of quality.
The Times 100 has a series of features on customer service
including a case study based on Portakabin:
http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/case-study--the-importance-
excellent-customer-service--35-235-2.php
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Examples of candidates’ own experience e.g. consider how
McDonald’s trains its staff to provide good customer service.
(Franchise) compared to smaller local businesses.
Role Play customer service.

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