Business Studies FAST TRACK A Level

Business Studies FAST TRACK A Level

The course has been designed to provide students with an understanding of the following: how businesses work; how the world around them affects decision-making within a business; what leads to change and how businesses respond to these issues; and the range of perspectives that can be taken on business activities.

It also helps develop a range of important and transferable skills: data skills; presenting arguments and making recommendations on the basis of the available evidence; and problem solving.

The Course

The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several lessons. All of the lessons have references to the textbook and selected websites. At the end of each lesson is a set of self-check questions. After studying the lesson you should be able to answer these questions. If you struggle with any of them, go back and re-read the relevant section. There are also a number of assignments. At various points you will be asked to complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.

Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you will study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that business studies is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between topics as you go along, and remember that this is certainly something the examiner will expect.

The units are divided up as follows:

Unit 1- Planning and Financing a BusinessStarting and Business:

Enterprise
Generating and protecting business ideas
Transforming resources into goods and services
Developing business plans
Conducting start up market research
Understanding markets
Choosing the right legal structure for the business
Raising finance
Locating the business
Employing people
Financial Planning:

Calculating costs
Using Break-even analysis to make decisions
Using cash flow forecasting
Setting budgets
Assessing business start- ups

Unit 2 - Managing a BusinessFinance:

Using budgets
Improving cash flow
Measuring and increasing profit
People in Business:

Organisational structures
Measuring the effectiveness of the workforce
Developing an effective workforce
Motivating employees
Operations Management:

Making operational decisions
Developing quality
Customer service
Working with suppliers
Using technology in operations
Marketing and the Competitive Environment:

Effective marketing
Designing the marketing mix
Marketing mix: product
Marketing mix: promotion
Marketing mix: pricing
Marketing mix: place
Marketing and competitiveness

The full syllabus can be found on the AQA exam board website, together with other useful material such as example exam papers. (The syllabus used is the one that is new in 2008 – please make sure you look at this rather than the previous syllabus).

Recommended Textbook

Although the course material provides explanations of the whole syllabus you are strongly advised to purchase a copy of the following AS level textbook:

Hall, Jones and others, Business Studies, AS (AQA) 4th edition, (2008), Causeway Press. ISBN 978-1-4058-9220-9

Sections of the book will be set out as recommended reading in places within the course material.

Studying Business Studies

Business studies is a contemporary and “real world” subject. Business studies students can benefit greatly from drawing on experience of employment, experience as consumers and what they see in the media.

Students need to have gcse level mathematics skills to do well on the course. There is no difficult mathematics but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and performing simple calculations.

Unit 1 – BUSS1
Planning and Financing a Business

40% of AS, 20% of A Level

1 hour 15 minutes examination
60 marks

Short answer questions and extended responses based on a mini case study.

Available January and June

Unit 2 – BUSS2
Managing a Business

60% of AS, 30% of A Level

1 hour 30 minutes examination
80 marks

Compulsory, multi-part data response questions. Available January and June
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A2 Business Studies
The Course

The course is divided into two units, each of which is divided into several lessons. All of the lessons have references to the textbook and selected websites. At the end of each lesson is a set of self-check questions. After studying the lesson you should be able to answer these questions. If you struggle with any of them, go back and re-read the relevant section. There are also a number of assignments. At various points you will be asked to complete one of the assignments and send it to your tutor for marking.

Each unit corresponds to a unit as set out in the syllabus and an examination. The lessons also correspond to sections of the units in the syllabus. It is important that you study the lessons in the right sequence. However you should be aware that business studies is very much an integrated subject – try and see the links between topics as you go along, and remember that this is certainly something the examiner will expect. The knowledge and understanding contained in AS units is also assessed through the A2 course – do not see these AS units as wholly separate.

The units are divided up as follows:

Unit 3 - Strategies for Success

Functional Objectives and Strategies:

Using objectives and strategies

Financial Strategies and Accounts:

Understanding financial objectives
Using financial data to measure and assess performance
Interpreting accounts
Selecting financial strategies
Making investment decisions

Marketing Strategies:

Understanding marketing objectives
Analysing markets
Selecting marketing strategies
Developing marketing plans

Operational Strategies:

Understanding operational objectives
Operational strategies: scale and resource
Operational strategies: innovation
Operational strategies: location
Operational strategies: lean production

Human Resource Strategies:

HR objectives and strategies
Developing and implementing workforce plans
Competitive organisational structures
Effective employee/employer relations

Unit 4 - The Business Environment and Managing Change

Corporate aims and objectives:

Mission, Aims and Objectives

Changes in the Business Environment:

Businesses and economics
Businesses and the political and legal environment
Businesses and the social environment
Businesses and the technological environment
Businesses and the competitive environment

Managing Change:

Internal causes of change
Planning for change
Key influences on change
Making strategic decisions
Implementing and managing change

Studying Business Studies

Business studies is a contemporary and “real world” subject. Business studies students can benefit greatly from drawing on experience of employment, experience as consumers and what they see in the media. Students need to have gcse level mathematics skills to do well on the course. There is no difficult mathematics but there is a need to have a go at interpreting figures and performing simple calculations.

Unit 3 - BUSS3

Strategies for Success

25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks

Questions requiring extended answers based on an unseen case study drawing upon knowledge from AS units.

Available January and June

Unit 4 – BUSS4

The Business Environment and Managing Change

25% of A Level
1 hour 45 minutes examination
80 marks

Pre-release research tasks leading to the first section of a two section examination.

The second section will consist of choice of essays. All questions will be essay style and synoptic therefore drawing upon knowledge from all four units.