Setting Budgets - The Wedding Planner
Re-visiting my old AS Unit 1 Lesson plans I found this good activity to get the students thinking about the limitations of setting budgets.
read more...»Teacher PowerPoint Presentations for AQA BUSS3 & BUSS4
The first editions of our PowerPoint collections for AQA BUSS3 & BUSS4 are now available. Each collections contains a series of professionally-produced PowerPoints which map the content of the new AQA A2 Business Studies specifications.
read more...»Corporate and Functional objectives - how BMW uses the Mini brand
The modern, 21st century Mini may look rather different from the 1950’s original -
- but you can probably see the family resemblance there. There is an interesting article here about how BMW’s designers updated the new model by imagining how it might have looked if redesigned in 1969, 1979, 1989, and finally arriving at the 1999 remodelling which has been so very successful. The brand is being extended and the design features adapted in a range of product developments that range from the two-seater convertible shown at the top of this article to a four-door 4x4 cross-over model which will go into production this winter.
Runaround Now!!!
A good kinesthetic activity for delivering bread and butter pro’s and con’s of any topic as well as points that need to be categorised based on the classic Mike Reid Gameshow, Runaround.
read more...»Adding Value - The Humble Potato
A really good interactive activity to get the students thinking about ways to add value.
After explaining the basic concept, I put them into groups of 4 with a couple of mini-whiteboards each. I tell them that they are going to be given a raw material and they need to discuss all the different ways that value can be added.
I then give each group a potato and 5 minutes to come up with as many suggestions as possible.
Its such a great activity that stimulates loads of interest. By going round the groups you can develop students thinking even further. They always come up with crisps, but you can then tease out how more value can be added to the crisps via the way the crisps are made, packaged etc.
A real belter this one…did it last week I did and the kids still come up with suggestions in the lessons.
Enjoy…....
Icing on the cake for entrepreneurs
This niche market is growing at 50% per year and is attracting dozens of business start-ups in the UK…
read more...»Tesco in Korea - a classic case study in international expansion
A great article in The Sunday Times today examines the strategy behind the success of Tesco’s expansion in South Korea…
read more...»Has Your Team Got the Business? Team Challenge (Week 1)
This week sees me heading back to the whiteboard; teaching AS and A2 Business Students at Sir john Deanes in Northwich. Each week I intend to set the students a weekly team challenge. An opportunity to test prior learning, develop their knowledge and understanding of the AQA Business course and hopefully engage the students with some entertaining and challenging lesson activities. I will share the resources and activities on the tutor2u blog and if you feel the need to contribute your own team challenge activities, please do!
Week 1 will kick off with the X Factor Challenge. It combines a PowerPoint quiz, based on basic A2 terms and business news, with a physical challenge, (I was inspired by the TV game show “The Cube”)
read more...»Patent Theft threatens enterprising inventors
An item covered by BBC news on TV and radio yesterday morning may be useful when covering protections of ideas and inventions for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs. Trevor Baylis, who invented the wind-up radio among other things and often features as a classic entrepreneur-inventor in business text books, is calling for Government action to help British inventors defend their ideas from rivals who try to steal them.
Third Age Entrepreneurs drive start-up successes
A research report from Nesta has highlighted the importance of older people in enterprise activity in the UK. Entrepreneurs aged 50-65 years created 27 per cent of successful start up companies in the UK between 2001 and 2005, according to the research which has just been released (somewhat late?).
read more...»AQA AS - Unit 1 - Starting a business - The BMX Box
His Lordship has just returned from his Summer recess and on his return discovered a most excellent resource.
This article appeared in my local newspaper that covers large chunks of the new specification.
Former welder, Lee Southern has turned his back on a twenty year welding career to setup the ‘BMX Box’. Lee said that “My previous job took me all over Europe, but after 20 years I had just had enough. I decided it was time to focus my attention on something I enjoy, and for me enjoyment means biking.”
3 months in and sales have exceeded all expectations so well done to Lee.
Yes, there are thousands of articles around covering this topic, but what I like about this one is that BMX’s are actually something that Year 12 students can relate to. It also covers key topics such as motives for setting up a business, sales forecasting and budgets, gaps in the maket, government support as well as market research (his idea was backed up by the number of BMX’s on his drive from his children’s friends’). All in all, an excellent summary article.
Enjoy!
(You could also show the students the opening scenes from 80’s classic, BMX Bandits starring a very young, Nicole Kidman.)
AQA AS Business (BUSS1) - Recommended Websites (2009/10)
The AQA AS Business Unit 1 (BUSS1) specification places strong emphasis on the business start-up process. The start-up area is tremendously interesting and there is no shortage of excellent online resources that students and teachers can access to support their studies for free!. Here is our recommended list - please add your suggestions using the comments box at the foot of the blog page.
read more...»More trouble in the skies
The ongoing turmoil in the airline industry continues, with the Irish national airline Aer Lingus announcing worse losses in this BBC news article
read more...»Edexcel A2 Business Unit 4a - Brompton Bicycles
Our teacher and student revision toolkit for the Edexcel Unit 4a Pre-Release Case Study on Brompton Bicycles is now available.
Mark Tottman has provided a comprehensive analysis of the Brompton case, following the highly successful format of his previous tutor2u toolkits for the Edexcel A2 Business exams.
Some sample pages from the resource can be downloaded here:
The toolkit may not be ordered online for immediate delivery here:
They’re Here! Our new Business Influence Card Game
They are here - tutor2u’s new Business Influence Cards!
This is a new teaching resource which can be used again and again in the business classroom.
read more...»Business angels take flight - just when small businesses need them
An interesting article from Andrew Stone this morning in the Sunday Times highlights the growing funding problems faced by small business who are looking for external investment by business angels…
read more...»Marketing Objectives in Action
A great article on Sainsbury’s strategy to accelerate its growth plans. I used this article as an example of what Internal and External constraints their can be on a businesses Marketing Objectives, but it could also be used for the impact on Operations, HR or Finance.
read more...»Tracking the progress of three new start-ups
Rachel Bridge (Enterprise Editor of the Sunday Times) joined us at the Business Teacher conference on Friday and briefly described her new series which is tracking three new business start-ups…
read more...»MySpace Makes Space to Change
This story is a must to use with A2 students looking for a relevant, topical strategy case…
read more...»Success with AQA Unit 3 - Market Analysis
Michelle and I are putting the final touches to some new teaching resources for the AQA A2 Business Unit 3 INSET days in London and Manchester next week. One of the areas of focus will be Marketing analysis where the BUSS3 specification poses some new teaching challenges…
read more...»A six minute tour round the Dell Factory
We used this video on our AQA AS Unit 2 resource day a few months ago. A super little video of a guided tour around a Dell factory, that also explains key aspects of the supply chain.
read more...»AQA A2 Business (BUSS3) - Introduction to BUSS3
AQA Business students who probably breezed through AS Unit 1 (a relaxing step down from legacy GCSE) and put in a more sustained effort to pass Unit 2 will need to raise their game for the two A2 units. The true challenge comes with BUSS4. But let’s look briefly here at BUSS3.
read more...»M&S suffers a fall in profits and cuts dividend
M&S has released its latest trading results. Reduced profits and cut in dividends are not good news for shareholders.
read more...»Investment appraisal in the rail industry - Branson wants to take the long-term view
A fascinating and useful short video interview with Richard Branson discusses the business/investment case for allowing Virgin Rail to be granted a longer rail franchise…
read more...»BA posts a record loss
Truly awful trading figures from British Airways today, illustrating the severe competitive issues facing the airline industry…
read more...»AQA AS BUSS2 - Aproaching Evaluation
Here is a brief guide for students taking AQA AS Business (BUSS”) who would appreciate some extra help on evaluation.
read more...»Starter activity - A piece of cake (limited companies)
Here is a great activity to use when teaching Ltd’s.
Before the students enter the room, I put a £1 monopoly note on each students desk. This immediately makes them curious about what is to follow. I then introduce the basic concept of limited companies and I relate limited companies to a cake, that can be cut up into ‘slices’ or shares. I then bring out a cake and cut it up into a number of different ‘shares’. I keep 3 back for myself and I then invite the students to come up and ‘buy’ a share of my cake or ‘company’ for £1. I then start quizzing them as to who owns the cake, why I kept back 3 slices etc.
I then ask the students, ‘why would I want to sell you a piece of my company’ whilst holding all the £1 notes in the air.
Need I say more.
We then eat the cake…and remember…you have 3 slices!
Enjoy (the cake)
Starter activity - Talkabout
Quiz shows are always a massive source of inspiration when it comes to starters and plenaries. Here’s one I ‘devised’ which was based on a popular quiz show circa 1990 – 1993.
read more...»Exam Board resources
Exam board specific materials will be added to the relevant subject blog categories
Get yourself connected - Connectives
This is such a great activity which aims to develop students skills of analysis and application.
read more...»
