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:
read more...»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…
read more...»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
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!
read more...»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…
read more...»Exam Board resources
Exam board specific materials will be added to the relevant subject blog categories
