Cheryl Rae Babcock     (babcockc@nova.edu)

Throughout this course, you will develop a mindset that will enable you to build a toolkit to create and evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities, marshal resources, and form teams driven by creativity, leadership, and smart action. In sum, this course is a journey through the fuzzy front-end of early stage entrepreneurial activity. This course is not intended to be a complete overview of entrepreneurship; it is an immersion experience for finding and creating opportunities. Frequency: Every Fall and Winter.

Not required

1)        Be able to explain the philosophy of small business ownership.
2)        Know what services are available to the entrepreneur and where to go for assistance.
3)        Visit a thriving small business and learn how the owner succeeded in business and what you would do to improve it.
4)        Have developed a comprehensive business plan for a small business venture.

1. Required Materials


1. Textbooks

Small Business Management: Launching and Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures - 18.Edition Justin G. Longenecker, J. William Petty, Leslie E. Palich, and Frank Hoy
South-Western Cengage Learning
ISBN: 9781305405745

Notes: Your text can now be rented in an electronic format : http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/search/9781305405745 Or purchased at our bookstore. Wall Street Journal subscription – The print subscription is required. You can order at www.wsj.com/studentoffer


APA Manual
The APA Manual 6th Edition is recommended for all courses.

NSU Bookstore
Textbooks and Case Studies may be purchased from the NSU Bookstore (located in the University Park Plaza) by calling 1-800-509-2665 or online at http://www.nsubooks.bkstore.com.

The NSU Libraries comprise the Alvin Sherman Library, Research, and Information Technology Center, Health Professions Division Library, Law Library and Technology Center, University School Library Media Centers, and the William S. Richardson Ocean Science Library. Students are strongly encouraged to visit the Alvin Sherman Library and/or contact a librarian. Students should also take advantage of the vast electronic resources available through the NSU Libraries for their research needs. For more information, please visit http://www.nova.edu/library.

Please note that all required and recommended materials should be referenced in APA style.

A set of criteria outlining what percentage represents what grade and expectations for achieving these grades.

1.  Sample
   
   

   High to Low		Letter Grade
   100 - 90	=	A
   89 - 80	=	B
   79 - 70	=	C
   69 - 60	=	D
   59 - and below	=	F




2. Grade Expectations

Not all students can expect an A grade for this course! Being awarded an A indicates that the student has an excellent grasp of the various topics and has demonstrated an ability to apply them accurately, precisely, and with a clear understanding of their implications on the situation. Being awarded a B indicates proficiency in applying the topics, but not as clear an appreciation of the subtleties of the topics. Being awarded a C indicates that the student has a limited understanding of the topics, but has failed to apply them accurately or properly interpret their meaning. An F indicates that the student has not grasped the topics and has not demonstrated an ability to apply them to solving problems.

The following assignments are suggested only and do not reflect the exact assignments for this course. Your professor will communicate the expected assignment structure to you when this class begins and may change it as deemed appropriate during the term.

Course Grade Components:


Note: Each assignment is worth 100 points. Example- Participation- up to 12.5 points received each week for a total of 100 points, 8 weeks, total percent of final grade 15.


Participation (in class and Homework), 12.5 percent possible, 8 weeks, total percent 15.
Case Studies, 5 percent possible, 2 cases, total percent 10.
Entrepreneur Interview, 15 percent possible, 1 interview, total percent 15.
Entrepreneur Presentation, 5 percent possible, 1 presentation, total percent 5.
Start-up Business Plan, 20 percent possible, 1 plan, total percent 20.
Business Plan Presentation, 5 percent possible, 1 presentation, total percent 5.
Midterm Exam, 15 percent possible, 1 midterm, total percent 15.
Final Exam, 15 percent possible, 1 final, total percent 15.


All Undergraduate Programs have a Writing Across the Curriculum Policy which means that you can expect to write at least 8-20 pages for each course. At least 35% of your grade will be determined by written assignments. Written assignments can include, but are not limited to: essays, summaries, memos, lesson plans, journal entries, lab reports, project proposals, progress reports, case studies, and project reviews. Papers are to be submitted prior to or on the due date. Papers submitted late will be subject to a penalty.


Schedule of Assignments
Week 1- Reading- chapters 1, 2, & 3, due first class meeting.
Week 2- Reading- chapters 4, 5, &6, due second class meeting.
Week 3, Reading- chapters 7 & 9, and Case Study- Two Men and a Truck- third class meeting.
Week 4, Reading chapters- review chapters 1-9, Midterm Exam- fourth class meeting.
Week 5- Reading chapters- chapters 10, 11 & 20- Ent. Int. Paper and Ent. Int. Presentation- fifth class meeting.
Week 6- Reading chapters- 14, 19, and 20- Case Study- Anthony's Pizza- sixth class meeting.
Week 7- Reading chapters- 21, 22, & 23- Start- up Business Plan and Business Plan Presentation- seventh class meeting.
Week 8- Reading chapters- Review chapters- 10, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, & 23- Final Exam- eighth class meeting.


Written Assignments:
Entrepreneur Interview: Each student will be required to interview an entrepreneur (See Appendix A in the syllabus). The format is to rewrite the questions (1-6) with the entrepreneur's answers to each question to follow. A major portion of the grade will be question #7, your evaluation and recommendations. It is suggested to use a business or similar business selected for the start-up feasibility study.
•        The interview must be pre-approved by email by the professor and a copy of the email approval must be attached to the written assignment.
•        Service businesses such as real estate firms, insurance agencies, or software companies are not acceptable. The business must be a bricks and mortar type of company.
•        The student will submit a two-to-three (2-3) page report of their findings along with their recommendations to improve the business. The student will be prepared to give a five- minute presentation describing the business (no power points). It should report the answer to question #5 (finance), and choosing your favorite answer to any one of the other questions, as well as your recommendations to improve the company.
•        Remember, there are no perfect companies. Every company can be improved.


Small Business Plan: Students will select a business and complete a business plan for a start-up business (see appendix B in syllabus). The same rules apply to the type of business as stated above.
•        Written plans should be 8-10 pages.
•        Web-only businesses are not permitted. The business must have a physical location.
•        Your choice of business must be approved by the professor. A copy of the email approval from the professor must be attached to your business plan.
•        Since your business plan is an APA style research paper, do not state personal opinions. You must cite your references in the body of the paper, and you must have a reference page. You should not use pronouns (e.g., I or we). Instead, use your company's name when you are telling the reader what your company plans to do.
•        The student will turn in the business plan the 7th class period and be prepared to present a power point presentation to the class in the 7th class. Students should present their small business plan as if the class was a group of venture capitalists. There will be a five-minute time limit for the presentation. Points will be deducted for going over the time limit.
Case Studies: One-page written summaries of the assigned cases are due the class period the case studies are scheduled for discussion.


Attendance/Participation


The participation grade includes:
•        Completing all preparation work before each class (Readings, Assignments, and Exam preparations).
•        Attending each class session in its entirety (arriving on time and staying for the entire class - points will be deducted if you do not attend the entire class session, i.e. arriving late or leaving early).
•        Completing all in-class work including cases, projects and discussions. You MUST be present in class to earn the points.
•        Being an active participant during class (asking questions, working with others during classroom exercises, and helping create a positive learning environment).


The atmosphere of a NSU class is open, non-critical, exploratory, and opinion forming. Honest academic search for facts, current status, and investigation occurs in an open, risk-free type situation. Ask your questions, formulate your thoughts and learn to express them to the class while being open to, and respectful of, others' beliefs, values, and contributions.


•        Fifteen (15) percent of your total grade is through class attendance and participation.
•        You earn up to 12.5 points per in-class meeting.
•        If you do not attend the class in its entirety, you will not earn all 12.5 points


Oral Presentations


Entrepreneur Interview


•        No more than a five-minute presentation. Points will be deducted if you exceed time limitation.
•        No Power Points


Business Plan


•        No more than a five-minute presentation. Points will be deducted if you exceed time limitation.
•        Power Points are to be used and a copy submitted to professor prior to presentation.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

The H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship (Huizenga College) is strongly committed to a policy of honesty in academic affairs. Students are awarded degrees in recognition of successful completion of academic coursework in their chosen fields of study. Each student, therefore, is expected to earn his or her degree on the basis of individual personal effort. Consequently, any form of cheating or plagiarism constitutes unacceptable academic dishonesty. Such academic misconduct will not be tolerated at the Huizenga College and will be penalized according to the seriousness of the infraction, in conformity with the standards, rules, and procedures of the Huizenga College and NSU.

First and foremost, it is the responsibility of each student to know what behavior is, and is not, permitted with respect to each assignment (e.g., homework, term paper, etc.) or assessment (e.g., exam or quiz). Academic misconduct can result in penalties that range from a grade of zero on the assignment or assessment to expulsion from NSU. In the absence of guidance from the professor, one should assume that an assessment is closed-book and to be completed individually (i.e., no assistance from other persons). Obviously, assignments such as homework or a term paper usually allow the use of reference materials; however, in the absence of guidance from the professor, one should assume that the assignment is to be completed individually.

Academic misconduct includes the following behaviors:

• Plagiarism. Plagiarism is "the presentation of someone else's ideas or words as your own. Whether deliberate or accidental, plagiarism is a serious and often punishable offense." (Aaron, J. (2001), The Little, Brown Compact Handbook (4th ed.), Needham Heights, Ma: Pearson/Longman.).


• Cheating on Assignments or Assessments. Cheating is the use of unauthorized sources during the completion of an assignment or assessment. There are too many examples of cheating to provide a comprehensive list, but consider the following to be illustrative.
  • Use of Unauthorized materials in preparation for or during an assessment. Use of Test Banks, copies of exams (old or current) or any reference materials during a closed-book assessment is cheating. Included in this category would be the classic use of "crib sheets" or copying answers from another student's exam.
  • Unauthorized contact with other persons during an assessment or assignment. If an assessment or assignment is to be completed individually, any consultation with another person, other than the professor, is cheating.
  
  A student may consult with others, by explicit permission of the instructor, when completing an individual assessment or assignment. However, the student is responsible for submitting his or her own work and assuring that the submission avoids any form of plagiarism.


• Disruption to Academic Process.

Again, it is the responsibility of each student to know what behavior is permitted during the completion of an assessment or assignment. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for academic misconduct.

Start Date	End Date	Days	Start Time	End Time	Location
01/11/17	02/22/17	( W )	06:00 PM	10:00 PM	Ft Lauderdale/Davie Campus Carl DeSantis Building 2073
03/01/17	03/01/17	( W )	06:00 PM	08:00 PM	Ft Lauderdale/Davie Campus Carl DeSantis Building 2073