Exam Countdown Timer for A & AS Level Business Studies

Here's a very simple, but totally unsubtle reminder for your students on the upcoming dates and times of the AS and A level exams in Business Studies for the AQA, Edexcel and OCR awarding bodies.

Follow this link to download the 'Exam Countdown' file.  There you will find a small and easy to use Powerpoint file called 'Exam Countdown'.

Follow this link for a quick tutorial on how to use the resource.

Open and run the slideshow (ensuring that you have 'enabled macros').  The screen will change to a setup slide after a couple of seconds.  Click on the exam that you wish to remind your student about and the countdown timer will start.  The timer shows how many days, hours, minutes and seconds remain before their exam starts.  There's nothing like instilling a sense of urgency!

Please note this file is fully functional.  If you would like an editable version (where you can edit the times, dates and 'event') you will find one as part of the 'Super Teacher Utility Belt' resource available from our PowerPoint games-based learning site.

OCR AS Business Studies Unit F292 Case Study Toolkit for Summer 2013

Our OCR AS Business expert Tom White and his team are hard at work preparing our popular teacher and student revision toolkit to support the pre-release case study for OCR AS Unit F292 in June 2013.

This summer's exam is based on the Moffett Steel & Designworks Ltd (MSDL) case study and our revision toolkit provides everything you need to prepare effectively and perform well in the exam.

The toolkit includes:

• Guided revision questions covering all the key case study issues
  
• Analysis and evaluation of every key case study points, issue and full analysis of the data
  
• Mock exam-style questions
  
• Specification mapping against the pre-release
  

The OCR F292 Moffett Steel & Designworks Ltd (MSDL) case study toolkit can be ordered directly online here or by downloading this printable order form.

We're aiming to complete the toolkit by Tuesday 26 March 2013 and we'll send it out first class post as soon as the resource is ready.

Don't forget that you can also get hold of our OCR AS F292 Q&A Rapid Revision Guide and OCR AS F292 Course Companion - two great resources to help your students maximise their performance in the F292 exam.

Explaining changes in business performance with the help of Radio 1

I had been guilty of listening to radio 1 in the past on my cycle in, very useful to get starter ideas or discussion points for GCSE business-Recent changes in the radio 1 product strategy has meant I have switched back to radio 4 (I wish 5 live was on FM!) so good news for my economics class, not so good for my GCSE class!   In the Daily mirror today, was a very accessible rport on audience figures- I plan to use it for GCSE to consider segmentation and product extension, for As to support marketing and A2 to support strategy -In the document which I have had put onto TES  I have also included some questions on the data to give A level students (and the quicker GCSE students) a chance to number crunch.

Answer are on the final page- Please check before use!

tutor2u teaching & revision toolkits for pre-released case studies - summer 2013

Our popular teaching & revision toolkits for pre-released case studies (and research themes) for exam units in summer 2013 can now all be ordered online or by downloading and sending us this printable order form. Links to each below.

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OCR AS Business Studies Unit F292 - H2 Office & Home Ltd (HHL)

The pre-released case study for OCR AS Business Studies Unit F292 (H2 Office & Home Ltd - HHL)
is now available to centres and our OCR teacher team are now working flat out on the definitive teacher/student revision toolkit. We're aiming to get this completed and sent out to centres who pre-order by 1 December 2012.

The case study toolkit for F292 -  - can be ordered online now  or by downloading and sending us this order form. 

OCR Standardising its approach to accounts presentation?

A key issue facing businesses teachers is how to introduce students to various types of profit e.g. gross, net, operating, before tax and retained. Until now, I’ve focused on gross net and retained.  However, advice just issued by the OCR means a change of tack, from September 2012.

The just published OCR Guidance on Accounting Elements is essential reading for OCR centres. It clarifies how profit and loss accounts (now termed statements of competence of income or income statements),  and balance sheets (or statements of financial position) are now laid out.

The document also contains OCR advice on ratios, with a commentary on interpretation particularly helpful.

OCR AS Business Studies F292 Tipton Sweets Limited

Tom White’s superb revision toolkit for OCR AS Business Studies Unit F292 - on the 2012 case study Tipton Sweets Limited - has just been published.  We will ship all pre-orders in the next 24 hours.  The toolkit, which provides comprehensive analysis of the Tipton Sweets pre-release case study - can be ordered here. or by downloading and sending us this order form.

Revision Toolkits for Pre-Released Case Studies - Summer 2012

Our popular revision toolkits for a range of pre-released case studies in Business Studies and Economics are now available to order. Some are already available and the rest will be despatched once complete in the next 2-3 weeks. The follow resources can now be ordered:

AQA BUSS4 Section A Takeovers and Mergers 2012

AQA Applied Unit 3 - Summer 2012

OCR A2 Economics Unit F585 June 2012

Edexcel A2 Business Unit 4a Toyota

OCR GCSE Business Unit 3 (J293) Summer 2012

OCR GCSE Economics Unit 593 Summer 2012

OCR AS Business Studies Unit F292 Summer 2012

OCR A2 Business Studies Unit F297 Summer 2012

OCR Applied Business Unit F242 Summer 2012

OCR Applied Business Unit F248 Summer 2012

OCR AS Business Studies Unit F292 - Suits You Ltd (SYL)

The pre-released case study for OCR AS Business Unit F292 (Business Functions) is Suits You Ltd (SYL) - amusingly based on the story of King & Allen with which many colleagues will be familiar if they have attended our BTNC and/or EntrepreneursLIVE earlier this week!

Tom White, our popular OCR Author, blogger and presenter has now completed the tutor2u toolkit for this case study. It contain comprehensive analysis of the pre-released case study together with advice on how students can maximise their marks in the exam by making full use of the case study materials.  This is a must-have resource for any students wanting to raise their level in January 2012.

The OCR F292 Toolkit for Suits You Ltd (SYL) can be ordered here.

A sample from the previous toolkit for F292 can be downloaded here.

The F292 toolkit is just one of three resources we have for F292 students and teachers.  We also recommend that centres use:

The F292 Course Companion (Author: Tom White), and

The F292 Rapid Revision Q&A Guide (Author Richard Young)

Q&A Rapid Revision Guides for Business & Economics

Our series of Rapid Revision Q&A Guides is now extended to 14 units covering a range of Business Studies and Economics specifications.  Details below of the current range and how to order:

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Profits dive and put pressure on liquidity - the Distress Monitor

This is a fantastic resource for colleagues who want to encourage their AS/A2 students to get to grips with some real-life business data and issues.

The Baker Tilly SME Distress Monitor is the resource.  I liken it to one of those life support machines you see bleeping away on Casualty or Holby City.  Except that the monitor is wired up to hundreds of living, breathing medium-sized businesses in the UK.

The monitor covers the financial performance of businesses with annual turnover of between £5m-£25m.

So how is the financial health of this crucial sector? Print this one-page report out for students and ask them to analyse the data, picking out the key features.

You ought to be given some fairly substantial points from the students who read the page carefully.  There will be plenty of scope for follow-up questions and discussion.

For example:

- A high proportion (25%) of businesses suffered a drop of more than a half in their profit before tax

- Significant reduction in firm profitability has implications for their finance (retained profit as the most important source of finance)

- One in every four UK SMEs has a current ratio below 1 which indicates insufficient resources to meet their immediate debt repayment

...but, the number of administrations has not risen significantly.

tutor2u launches new resources for OCR AS Business Studies

I’m delighted to announce the forthcoming publication (in early September 2011) of two new comprehensive digital course companions for OCR AS Business Studies Units F291 and F292.  Some brief details below…

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OCR GCE Business Unit F292 - Rapid Revision Q&A Guide

The second in our series of rapid revision Q&A guides for OCR AS GCE Business is now available.  Written by Richard Young, the Unit F292 (Business Functions ) Revision Q&A guides students through all the key content of the core OCR Unit F292 specification through a series of guided revision questions.

Download a sample of the Unit F291 Revision Q&A

Download an order form

Order direct online from the tutor2u store

Are you using the correct version of the OCR F292 Case Study

It seems to happen every year and still I do not learn.

OCR issued an incorrect version of the F292 case study on its web site which unti yesterday I was using with my students

Here is their announcement

“For a brief period of time, from Wednesday 9 March until 13.00 Friday 11 March 2011, an incorrect version of the F292: Business Functions Pre-Release case study was loaded onto the OCR website. This has now been rectified and the correct version is now appearing. Please ensure that you are working to the correct version. The reference code appearing in the bottom left hand corner should read:

DC (CW) 41693/6 R

Please note that the hard copy version sent to centres in early March 2011 is correct. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.”

The correct version of the F292 paper can be downloaded here

The big change is the cash flow appendix - I wasted a few lessons assessing the wrong data

Note to self: check OCR web site weekly after release of case studies next year and the year after

Tough lessons in running a business from the entrepreneurial coalface

Students rarely get the inside track on the hurdles and challenges faced by entrepreneurs day-to-day.  They can be forgiven for thinking that setting up and managing a business is, in the textbook world, pretty straightforward. Get the marketing mix right, raise the finance, motivate the staff & the jobs a good’un. Yeh, right. Sure

So this excellent article in the Telegraph might help provide a reality check.  It is certainly packed full of useful discussion points. Just look at some of the problems encountered by a nice mix of businesses and entrepreneurs:

- A stonemason for whom demand literally freezes when the weather turns wintery
- Declining net profit margins as competitors fight for market share in an industry with much spare capacity
- A major customer going into liquidation leaving a firm with a substantial bad debt
- Rapid growth in revenue highlighting deficiencies in stock management and customer service
- Tricky decisions about whether to delay investment in research & development as a result of weakening demand from the public sector
- A franchisor that is struggling to open new locations

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!

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Lesson worksheet - Organisational Structure Basics

This student worksheet can be used to help students test their understanding of the basics of organisational structure.

Download lesson worksheet - organisational structure basics.

Revision Quiz - Marketing Mix (20 Questions)

Here is a revision quiz which might help students preparing for AS units requiring knowledge and understanding of the marketing mix.Each time you take the quiz, 20 questions are drawn from the quiz database of 80 revision questions on product, place, promotion and pricing.  There is also a VLE version which you can import into your learning system to track student usage and performance.  The links are below:

Launch Interactive Quiz on the marketing mix

Download VLE-import version (Zip file)

OCR Business Unit F292 - Fitness is Fun plc

We’re putting the final content together this weekend for our support materials on OCR AS Business Unit F292 (Fitness is Fun plc).  The revision toolkit can be ordered from our online store here..  Pre-orders will be shipped first thing on Monday morning.

How small businesses can compete - attack is the best form of defence

I like this article, published today on the excellent SMEWeb…

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Exam Board resources

Exam board specific materials will be added to the relevant subject blog categories