Adding value…to the humble toilet roll
Here is a great article in the Telegraph which describes the business and strategy of the UK’s leading manufacturer of toilet rolls.
read more...»
•Business Strategy - •Marketing - •Operations Management -
Tags: capacity, economies of scale, branding, added value, adding value, own-label, market size
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Can small firms shrug off their recession trauma?
An interesting short article in the Telegraph contains a suggestion that many businesses, particularly the small ones, are struggling to shake off the experience of surviving the recession.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Small Businesses - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, strategy, opportunities
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When is a Ping not a Ping? When its an Apple
The latest big announcement from Apple brings with it a great example of trademark protection in action. Its a good one to use with students, since it illustrates the potential commercial value from licensing a trademarked-brand name.
read more...» •Business & Technology - •Marketing -
Tags: apple, brand, trademark, brand name, licence, ping
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UK regulators move in to control online advertising
A significant change is on the way for businesses that advertise online. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) - the body that regulates advertising in the UK - is to widen its remit to cover all forms of online advertising from March 2011. This includes advertising on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as Google Adwords and any other advertising that is designed to sell or promote goods and services. A sure sign that online advertising has come of age! Good little piece from the Beeb explains more here
•Marketing -
Tags: advertising, regulation, advertising standards authority
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Online distribution channels - which retailers are still missing out?
An interesting update here which lists the (relatively) few major retailers who still do not offer an e-commerce. I’m surprised to find Morrisons and Primark still listed as e-commerce lagards. Interesting too how long it has taken the likes of H&M and Zara to begin selling online - their stores go live this September 2010.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Marketing - •Retailing -
Tags: tesco, primark, asda, e-commerce, morrisons, sainsbury's, distribution channel
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Why we should encourage our students to start a business at university
The Year 13s of summer 2010 are long gone (well - most of them). So what were your final words to them as they picked up their A Level results or said farewell at the Sixth Form prom? Perhaps it should have been “enjoy Uni, and make sure you start that business there...”
read more...» •Enterprise and Startups - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS1 - •GCSE Business - •AQA GCSE Business - •Edexcel GCSE Business -
Tags: entrepreneur, enterprise, start-up
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Our Business Studies CPD & Student Workshop Programme for 2010/11
tutor2u’s programme of Teacher CPD & Student Workshop and Enrichment Conferences for Business Studies in 2010/11 is summarised below. For each event we have provided a link to a blog entry providing more details of the programmes and speakers (where available) and also to booking forms. As new events are added to the programme, they will be listed here too.
read more...»Current Affairs Quiz #1
Welcome to a new academic year and a new set of current affairs quizzes for Business and Economics students…
read more...»Recession pricing: the rise of the budget hotel
Do you like freebies or do you value ‘value’? A couple of years ago Travelodge stopped putting ‘free’ shampoo in their rooms. The logic is that customers would prefer a lower room rate than freebies.
What do you think? My wife loves those little bottles and sachets, as part of the excitement of staying in a hotel. However, after a few conversations I’m revising my theory. Freebies are an important part of staying in a ‘posh’ hotel, but perhaps Travelodge customers do value ‘value’. Especially since they may be paying their own room rate, rather than claiming it on expenses from their employer.
Now a new hotel chain, Tune, have opened up a super budget hotel that takes the concept even further........
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Credit Crunch - •Customer Service - •Economic Environment - •Leisure, Travel & Tourism - •Marketing -
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Organic growth - Greggs CEO Outlines His Strategy
The growth story of Greggs plc is a really good one to use in the business classroom. We used it in our AQA BUSS2 revision workshops in April 2010, looking at how Greggs could improve its net profit margin through economies of scale and improved productivity. Here, in this short video interview, the CEO of Greggs (Kennedy McMeikan) outlines what he believes makes Greggs distinctive on the high street and why this creates a significant organic growth opportunity for the business.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Retailing - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Video Case Studies -
Tags: organic growth, greggs, growth strategy, business growth
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The Summer 0f 2010 - Matching Activity
In this matching activity, we provide 16 clues to businesses that featured prominently in the business news during July & August 2010.
Download The Summer 0f 2010 - Matching Activity (includes answers at back)
A beginners guide to GDP
Every business student needs to have an understanding of GDP - the value of economic activity over a period of time. So here is a neat video from Declan Curry and the BBC to explain what is meant by GDP. Very useful for an introductory lesson on the economic environment.
read more...» •Economic Environment - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Video Case Studies -
Tags: recession, gdp, economic growth, green shoots, economy
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Fiscal Policy - Where Does the Government Raise Finance?
This new video from Declan Curry on the BBC explains in straightforward terms how the UK government raises taxation from various sources and how it attempts to finance the gap between government spending and taxation.
read more...» •Economic Environment - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Video Case Studies -
Tags: taxation, fiscal policy, government spending, gilts, pension funds
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The 20 Business Crossword - Summer 2010
Here is a crossword with 20 clues. Each refers to a business that has featured in the UK business news over the last 6-8 weeks. Can your students complete it? How many can they get right in 15, 25, 40 mins?
Download The 20 Business Crossword - Summer 2010 (includes answers)
Rated: 
(5/5), based on 2 reviews
•Business Quizzes -
Tags: business quiz
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The Biz Quiz - The Summer of 2010
The Biz Quiz returns with a 15-question quiz on business stories during July and August 2010.
Launch The Biz Quiz - Summer of 2010
Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review
•Biz Quiz - •Business Quizzes -
Tags: the biz quiz
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The Social Network - the Facebook Business Story
Coming to cinemas later this year - The Social Network - tells the story of Facebook and the challenges faced by Mark Zuckerberg along the way.
The trailer below gives you some idea about the style of the film. Looks like it could be helpful for teaching protection of intellectual property at the very least!
read more...» •Business & Technology - •Enterprise and Startups - •Leadership & Culture - •Political & Legal Environment - •TEACHING BUSINESS -
Tags: facebook
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Edexcel GCE Unit 4a - Strategic Analysis of Morrisons
Many thanks to Mark Tottman who has, once again, produced a superb strategic analysis to support the latest pre-released case study for Edexcel GCE Business Unit 4a. For exams in 2011, the case study is supermarket chain WM Morrisons. Mark’s analysis, which is ideal for all Edexcel Unit 4a centres, is now available from our online store.
•Business Strategy - •Retailing - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •Edexcel Unit 4a -
Tags: morrisons, supermarket retailing, edexcel unit 4a
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External growth strategy - takeovers back in fashion for large UK firms post recession
A neat summary from the BBC of a trend developing during 2010 - the increase in the number and value of business takeovers as UK firms emerge from the economic downturn. This would make a useful lesson stimulus piece for students wanting to build their understanding of the rationale behind acquisitions as a means of business growth, and also to identify some real examples to supplement their exam research.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Economic Environment - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 - •OCR F297 -
Tags: takeover, external growth, acquisitions, mergers, growth strategy
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The links between Physics and Marketing
What can the laws of physics teach those involved in marketing? I love this 7 minute TED video from Dan Godley (Google) where he links physics to the marketing challenges faced by many major global brands
read more...» •Marketing -
Tags: google, brands, marketing
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Six superb business lesson activities from Lord Sutch
I was browsing the business studies blog archive last night and spotted these six fantastic lesson activities from Lord Sutch which were amongst the top 20 most-downloaded resources from the last school year. Well worth looking at - particularly if you missed them first time…
read more...»Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review
•Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: starter activities, ebea, plenaries, lesson starters
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(probably) The Best Business Lessons, Ever (TBBLE 2010)
Book one of the last few places available for TBBLE 2010 - the resource-packed CPD day for all business teachers
This brand new CPD day for all business teachers is packed full with more business teaching ideas and resources than you’ve ever experienced from an INSET day. You’ll also get to meet “Lord Sutch” - our prolific and inspired creator of business teaching ideas and Mark Mitchell (author of the highly successful Friday Afternoon Business Studies). Not to be missed!
Download a printable booking form (pdf)
read more...» •ICT in the Business Classroom - •Starters & Plenaries -
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I-teach - a brilliant lesson starter
Research shows that we retain around 90% of what we actually teach. Indeed, Confucius said, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Based on this concept is an extremely simple and engaging teaching strategy that works brilliantly as a lesson starter…
read more...»Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review
•GCSE Business - •AQA GCSE Business - •Edexcel GCSE Business - •ICAA / CCEA GCSE Business - •OCR GCSE Business - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: starter, plenary, teaching and learning
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Whats in a name? A puntastic way to start the new school year
This is a good activity for the first lesson with a new business group…
read more...»Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews
•Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: starters, thinking skills, plenaries
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How inflation affects consumers
Another great, short video from the BBC here which is an ideal stimulus piece for a lesson on inflation. It looks at the effect of inflation on three different consumers, and also refers to the potential impact of public spending cuts.
read more...» •Economic Environment - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Video Case Studies -
Tags: inflation, consumer spending, consumer confidence, households
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Inflation and profit margins - lessons from the market
Here’s a great video from the BBC which is a neat way of introducing the concepts of price inflation and profit margins - all in one!
read more...» •Economic Environment - •Marketing - •Retailing - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Video Case Studies -
Tags: inflation, costs, bank of england, net profit margin, inflation target
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Retail strategy - the turnaround challenge at Argos
A great interview with the CEO of Argos in the Guardian today which is packed full with useful business studies material.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Retailing -
Tags: retailing, business strategy, argos, return on investment, market leader, home retail group, sara weller, refurbishment
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The most successful Dragons’ Den pitch so far?
There have been several notable moments in Dragons’ Den over the years, many of which have caught the eye of Business students and teachers. This one is exciting simply because of the amount of financial interest it has generated....
read more...» •Business & Technology - •Enterprise and Startups - •Marketing - •Retailing - •Small Businesses -
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A Dramatic Drop in GCSE Business Candidate Numbers
The contrinued, dramatic drop in the popularity of GCSE Business Studies has continued in 2010…
read more...»Recession Strategy - Manufacturing Emerges Leaner and Fitter
Here is a really useful new report from accountants PwC focuses on how the UK manufacturing sector has weathered the recent recession in the UK. Lots of great insights in there about how manufacturing firms have attempted to remain competitive during the downturn.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Finance & Accounting - •International Business - •Marketing - •Human Resource Management - •Operations Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) -
Tags: recession, productivity, manufacturing, efficiency, competitiveness, working capital, workforce planning, gross profit margin, gross profit, industry
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Cash flow continues to trouble small businesses
Over one third (38%) of small businesses in the UK have had cashflow problems during the past two years of economic downturn, according to new research from IGF’s ‘Small Business Survey 2010’.
read more...» •Credit Crunch - •Finance & Accounting - •Small Businesses -
Tags: cash flow, cash flow problem, cash flow management, small businesses, cash flow crisis, debtors, factoring
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Analysing the Market - UK Cinema in 2010
A huge hat tip to Geoff for spotting this amazing resource which could prove really useful - particularly for students undertaking research tasks such as BUSS4....
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Leisure, Travel & Tourism - •Marketing - •Retailing - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •Recent UK Recession (June 2010) - •TEACHING BUSINESS -
Tags: market share, cinema attendances, uk film industry
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37 Ways for a Business to be More Competitive
I love this new article on Smarta which really is gold-dust for business teachers…
read more...» •Business Strategy - •Customer Service - •Marketing - •Operations Management - •Small Businesses - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: competition, efficiency, product, customer service, marketing mix, competitive advantage
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Tutor2u on Facebook
We have a new Facebook page and it will be full of news, links to resources and other goodies as the year develops. Have a look here! And perhaps sign up as a facebook fan!
Clubbing your way to ratio analysis
There’s been an interesting news piece recently that shows how ratio analysis is relevant to Britain’s biggest nightclub operator, Luminar.
read more...» •Credit Crunch - •Finance & Accounting - •Marketing -
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‘Friday Boss’ features on the Today programme
The Today programme on BBC radio 4 has recently started running a weekly series of interviews called ‘Friday Boss’, which would be great resources to use for many aspects of A2 lessons. This morning’s interview was with Irwin Lee of Proctor and Gamble UK, and the two previous weeks have featured David Kirchhoff of Weightwatchers and Adam Crozier of ITV. Three very different businesses, in which it would be possible to draw useful contrasts between the mangement approaches described in relation to the internal and external influences on the business. This would be particularly useful in starting to build the skills that students will need for the BUSS4 paper next summer, and their knowledge of a range of businesses. Each interview is between 7 and 11 minutes long. Links to all three of these interviews can be found here; I hope that in the coming weeks these will remain live, and others will be added to them.
•Business Strategy - •Leadership & Culture - •Human Resource Management - •BUSS4 RESEARCH - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS3 - •AQA BUSS4 -
Tags: external influences, internal influences, today programme, friday boss
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How much do you earn? How much should you earn?
I think it’s likely that after the recession, the subject of pay will stay in the news. Here are a couple of links: one to an Economist debate about whether the government should try to regulate the pay of top executives and another about pay rates in general.
read more...» •Economic Environment - •Human Resource Management - •Political & Legal Environment -
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Poundland expanding: reflections on quality and the recession
I’m looking round for pieces of evidence that students could use to judge the state of the economy and where it’s heading (hopefully trying to avoid a ‘double dip’ recession), so I was interested to see that Poundland are growing their business. Whilst watching an accompanying video clip, I also noticed the firm’s boss making observations about the concept of quality: something that crops up as a frequent Business Studies discussion point.
read more...» •Economic Environment - •Marketing -
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Lesson Worksheet - Business Growth Basics
This lesson worksheet looks at the basics of business growth - internal/external, measuring the size of a business; the advantages and disadvantages of organic growth v acqusitions etc
Download lesson worksheet on Business Growth Basics
•Business Strategy - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: organic growth, external growth, acquisitions, takeovers, internal growth, joint ventures, business growth, measuring business size
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Lesson Worksheet - Classification of Business
In this lesson worksheet we look at how businesses can be classified in terms of their broad economic sectors and also consider why the service sector has grown so much in the UK compared with the secondary/manufacturing sector
Download lesson worksheet on Classification of Business
•Business Organisation - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: manufacturing, tertiary sector, economic sector, primary sector, secondary sector
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Lesson Worksheet - Opportunity Cost
This new lesson worksheet tests student understanding of the crucial concept of oppportunity cost, and its link to business decison-making
Download lesson worksheet on opportunity cost
•Aims and Objectives - •Business Strategy - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: interest rate, decision-making, choice, opportunity costs, resource constraints
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A tricky customer service problem - chicken nuggetts are off
No sound on this video clip, but sometimes actions speak louder than words…
read more...» •Customer Service - •Retailing - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Video Case Studies -
Tags: customer service, health & safety
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Lesson Worksheet - Adding Value
This short lesson worksheet cover the topic of adding value.
Download lesson worksheet on adding value
•Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: profit, added value, adding value
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Lesson Worksheet - Stakeholders in a Business
This lesson worksheet addresses the key topic of stakeholders in a business. Who are the internal and external stakeholders? What is the difference between shareholders and stakeholders? To what extent might stakeholders have different and conflicting objectives?
Download lesson worksheet on stakeholders
•Aims and Objectives - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS2 - •OCR F291 - •GCSE Business - •AQA GCSE Business - •Edexcel GCSE Business - •OCR GCSE Business - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: shareholders, stakeholders, objectives
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Lesson Worksheet - Aims & Objectives of Business
This lesson worksheet allows students to test themselves on the basics of the aims and objectives of businesses.
Download lesson worksheet on Aims & Objectives of Business
•Aims and Objectives - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •GCSE Business - •AQA GCSE Business - •Edexcel GCSE Business - •BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Business - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: shareholders, stakeholders, objectives, aims, mission, smart
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Cash flow Clue-doh! The Mystery is Revealed…
Over 10,000 colleagues have now downloaded our cash-flow murder mystery activity - Cash Flow Clue-doh! And we’re getting an increasing number of enquiries asking what the solution is!
read more...»Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews
•Credit Crunch - •Finance & Accounting - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS2 - •Edexcel Unit 2a - •OCR F292 - •BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Business - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Starters & Plenaries -
Tags: recession, price, production, profit, capacity, debt, cash flow
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Cashflow-Cluedoh!
Cashflow Cluedoh!, our free murder mystery game for business teachers, has just reached the 10,000 download level! Details of how to get hold of this teaching resource below…
read more...»Rated: 
(4/5), based on 9 reviews
•Finance & Accounting - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •ICT in the Business Classroom -
Tags: cash flow, working capital, bank overdraft, bank loan, overtrading, teaching accounting, peston plastics
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Strategy in action - Mitchell & Butlers stays focused
A great example of a focus strategy in the news, with the announcement that pubs & dining group Mitchell & Butlers has agreed to sell Hollywood Bowl to rival AMF Bowling.
read more...» •Business Strategy - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS4 - •OCR F297 -
Tags: strategy, disposal, non-core assets, mitchell & butlers
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Lesson Worksheet - Franchises
Here is a lesson worksheet that enables you to test student’s understanding of the basics of franchises as a form of business organisation.
Download lesson worksheet on franchises
•Business Organisation - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS1 - •Edexcel Unit 1 - •OCR F291 - •GCSE Business - •AQA GCSE Business - •Edexcel GCSE Business - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: franchise, franchisor, franchisee, franchising, service sector
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Lesson Worksheet - Enterprise & Entrepreneurs
This new lesson worksheet allows students to test their understanding of the role of the entrepreneur.
Download lesson worksheet on enterprise & entrepreneurs
•Enterprise and Startups - •EXAM BOARD SUPPORT - •AS & A2 Business - •AQA BUSS1 - •Edexcel Unit 1 - •OCR F291 - •GCSE Business - •AQA GCSE Business - •Edexcel GCSE Business - •OCR GCSE Business - •BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Business - •TEACHING BUSINESS - •Lesson Worksheets -
Tags: risk, entrepreneur, enterprise, startup, government support, reward
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Google Goggles - A tool for marking indecipherable essays?
Perhaps this might be the way ahead for reading and marking scruffy essays late at night? (!!) David Mitchell a teacher from Lancashire tweeted that “Just used Google Goggles to scan some pupils writing and it levelled it, marked it and gave next steps! Blimey it’s good!!
•Digital Learning -
Tags: google goggles
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