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    <title>business&#45;studies</title>
    <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/</link>
    <description></description>
    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>tutor2u.net</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2012</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2012-02-12T11:47:19+00:00</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>AQA BUSS1 Pierre&#8217;s Personalised T&#45;Shirts &#45; Observations &amp;amp; Suggested Answers</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-pierres-personalised-t-shirts-observations-suggested-answers</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-pierres-personalised-t-shirts-observations-suggested-answers#When:08:48:48Z</guid>
      <description>Many thanks to colleagues who faxed over yesterday&#8217;s paper. Here are a few thoughts on potential approaches &amp;amp; answers for the January 2012 BUSS1 paper. 

Don&#8217;t forget that this paper was a last&#45;minute replacement paper (note the BUSS1R code on the front cover) after AQA withdrew the original paper.&amp;nbsp; Was it a rush job?&amp;nbsp; Not sure.&amp;nbsp; If asked to rush a BUSS1 paper out, you&#8217;d probably want to keep it pretty simple and focus on the basics (market research, profit, breakeven and cash flow etc).! 

I&#8217;m pleased that we nailed breakeven at the BUSS1 workshop and encouraged students to expect a lot more use of the results of calculations in other questions too.&amp;nbsp; That change in the BUSS1 paper approach is now well established and some centres may need to refocus their SOW to spend more time practising profit and breakeven calculations from a variety of angles.&amp;nbsp; The AQA examiners are now encouraging students to access good application (which leads to good analysis) through the use of calculations &#45; an encouraging development, but one students will need more support on, I suspect.

The overall balance of the paper?&amp;nbsp; Perhaps over&#45;weighted towards breakeven and profit calculations, with a further emphasis on cash flow/sources of finance. But isn&#8217;t that what setting up a simple trading business like personalised t&#45;shirts is all about?&amp;nbsp; Many candidates might have been confused by question 2(c) which seemed to suggest more complicated calculations than were actually required. 

Anyway, here are a few suggestions on possible responses to each question in the paper:</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-12T08:48:48+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA AS Business (BUSS1) &#45; Basics</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-basics</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-basics#When:21:41:35Z</guid>
      <description>This short, simple revision presentation contains some summary thoughts about potential application, analysis and evaluation points which students might use effectively in their BUSS1 exam answers.&amp;nbsp; The critical thing to remember is that all answers to BUSS1 questions need to be in context &#45; refer to the story and circumstances of the startup business in particular.</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-10T21:41:35+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA AS Business (BUSS1) Opportunities for Evaluation</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-opportunities-for-evaluation</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-opportunities-for-evaluation#When:09:43:41Z</guid>
      <description>In the list below I have highlighted a series of topic areas in BUSS1 which provide good opportunities for students to build effective evaluation into their answers.&amp;nbsp; Students should remember that, in all cases, the evaluation must be made in the context of the case study business, not simply generic.</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-08T09:43:41+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA AS Business (BUSS1) &#45; Exam Topic Tracker</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-exam-topic-tracker</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-exam-topic-tracker#When:09:30:28Z</guid>
      <description>Now updated to include May 2011 BUSS1 exam paper

This might be helpful for students getting ready for BUSS1 in 2012. As each exam sitting of a new specification passes, it is a useful exercise to track which parts of the specification have been tested and in what way. Of course some topics soon become examiner favourites &#45; tested again and again if students consistently perform poorly. So beware question&#45;spotting&#8230; 

The questions set in the first six sittings of AQA AS Business Studies (BUSS1) are summarised in our BUSS1 Topic Tracker, which you can download here:

Download AQA AS Business Studies (BUSS1) Topic Tracker</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-08T09:30:28+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA AS Business (BUSS1) &#45; Key Topic Revision Checklist</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-key-topic-revision-checklist</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-key-topic-revision-checklist#When:09:29:17Z</guid>
      <description>Here is a key topic revision checklist which students preparing for BUSS1 might find helpful to check they have covered the key topics before the exam:

BUSS1_Revision_Checklist.doc</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-08T09:29:17+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA AS Business (BUSS1) &#45; Resources Overview &amp;amp; Links</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-resource-overview-links</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-resource-overview-links#When:09:28:12Z</guid>
      <description>tutor2u is the UK&#8217;s leading publisher of resources for AQA AS Business (BUSS1).&amp;nbsp; There are now thousands of free resources available on the tutor2u website suitable for AQA BUSS1 and we publish a full programme of teaching materials, revision days and CPD training.&amp;nbsp; This blog page is the master listing for our BUSS1 provision, with key links to materials of interest to AQA GCE Business centres.&amp;nbsp; Please bookmark this URL &#45; new resources will be added to this page as they are made available</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2012-01-08T09:28:12+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>BUSS1 Key Revision Terms Quiz</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-key-revision-terms-quiz</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-key-revision-terms-quiz#When:17:04:33Z</guid>
      <description>Here is a fifteen question revision quiz covering some key terms for the BUSS1 exam. For each question type in the correct answer &#45; each question shows the number of letters required in the correct term! Good luck!</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, TEACHING BUSINESS, ICT in the Business Classroom, Business Quizzes,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-12-29T17:04:33+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA AS Business (BUSS1) Revision Guide</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-revision-guide</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-revision-guide#When:07:09:04Z</guid>
      <description>I&#8217;m pleased to announce the publication of a new tutor2u revision guide for AQA BUSS1. This 20 page booklet guides students through all the key BUSS1 topics and also showcases ways in which an A* BUSS1 answer can be built on good analysis and evaluation.&amp;nbsp; The BUSS1 Revision Guide is being provided free of charge to all students who are attending the BUSS1 revision workshops in Portsmouth, Hull, London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle &amp;amp; Leeds.&amp;nbsp; For students who are not able to attend the workshops, the Revision Guide can now be purchased for £5 per copy (including P&amp;amp;P) from our online store.

Some illustrations from the new BUSS1 Revision Guide are provided below:</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-12-05T07:09:04+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>BUSS1 Workshop 2011 Topics &#45; What We&#8217;ll Cover</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-workshop-2011-topics-what-well-cover</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-workshop-2011-topics-what-well-cover#When:08:48:06Z</guid>
      <description>The workshop materials are now ready and our team of 15 BUSS1 presenters is now flat&#45;out preparing to deliver the AQA BUSS1 revision workshops later this month and in early December. 

The day is wholly focused on helping your students maximise their performance in BUSS1.&amp;nbsp; No guest business speakers; no waffle; just key exam content and a relentless focus on exam technique. Our aim is simple &#45; to help your students get as far up the AQA mark scheme levels as possible.</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, TEACHING BUSINESS,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-11-11T08:48:06+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Revision Quiz &#45; Market Research for a Business Startup</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/revision-quiz-market-research-for-a-business-startup</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/revision-quiz-market-research-for-a-business-startup#When:16:37:32Z</guid>
      <description>This new revision quiz looks at how a startup can undertake market research.&amp;nbsp; There are over 20 questions in the quiz bank for this topic and each time you run the quiz 10 questions are selected at random.

Launch Revision Quiz &#45; Market Research for a Business Startup</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, GCSE Business, AQA GCSE Business, Edexcel GCSE Business, BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Business, TEACHING BUSINESS, Business Quizzes,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-10-13T16:37:32+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Revision Quiz &#45; Locating the Startup Business</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-revision-quiz-locating-the-startup-business</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-revision-quiz-locating-the-startup-business#When:18:35:15Z</guid>
      <description>What factors should a startup business consider when choosing its business location?&amp;nbsp; This question is addressed in this 10&#45;question revision quiz on business location:

Launch revision quiz on Locating the Startup Business</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Enterprise and Startups, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, TEACHING BUSINESS, Business Quizzes,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-10-12T18:35:15+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>BUSS1 Beat the Teacher &#45; the Thinking Skills Lesson Resource for AQA BUSS1</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-beat-the-teacher-the-new-lesson-activity-for-aqa-buss1</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-beat-the-teacher-the-new-lesson-activity-for-aqa-buss1#When:14:00:48Z</guid>
      <description>BUSS1 Beat The Teacher is a great way to help test whether students have picked up a thorough understanding of core topics on their AS course so far. 

Beat the Teacher is a thinking skills activity which involves giving students a page of written text and/ or calculations which contain a number of errors. Students then work individually or in pairs to try and ascertain where the mistakes are.</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, TEACHING BUSINESS, Starters &amp; Plenaries,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-10-12T14:00:48+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>The breakeven simulator</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/recommended-teaching-resource-the-breakeven-simulator</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/recommended-teaching-resource-the-breakeven-simulator#When:04:21:32Z</guid>
      <description>One from the archives here which might be of interest to colleagues &#45; particularly those new to tutor2u.&amp;nbsp;  This is an interactive breakeven simulator, with supporting notes and student activities..</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, Edexcel Unit 1, TEACHING BUSINESS, ICT in the Business Classroom,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-10-02T04:21:32+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Revision Presentation &#45; Adding Value</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/revision-presentation-adding-value</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/revision-presentation-adding-value#When:17:01:00Z</guid>
      <description>This revision presentation examines the concept of adding value &#45; the ways in which a business can achieve revenues that are higher than the cost of the inputs into the production or operations process.</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Business Strategy, Customer Service, Enterprise and Startups, Marketing, Small Businesses, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, Edexcel Unit 1, OCR F291, REVISION PRESENTATIONS,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-09-07T17:01:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Entrepreneurs and Calculated Risks</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/entrepreneurs-and-calculated-risks</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/entrepreneurs-and-calculated-risks#When:21:05:00Z</guid>
      <description>Over the summer I have been re&#45;reading the new Smarta Business book which is packed full of practical, real&#45;life advice on starting a business from 100 top entrepreneurs.&amp;nbsp; 

I came across a whole section on a topic which we were discussing with students at our revision workshops recently &#45; the need for entrepreneurs to take &#8220;calculated risks&#8221;.&amp;nbsp; The term calculated risk actually appears in the excellent Edexcel GCSE Business (Unit 1), but students don&#8217;t all find it easy to understand what it means.</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Enterprise and Startups, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, Edexcel Unit 1, GCSE Business, Edexcel GCSE Business,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-08-25T21:05:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA AS Business (BUSS1) &#45; Specification Resource Map</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-specification-resource-map</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-specification-resource-map#When:20:01:01Z</guid>
      <description>[updated 25 August 2011]

tutor2u&#8217;s Business Studies blog contains several thousand resources suitable for the AQA BUSS1 unit (planning &amp;amp; financing a business) and new resources are added frequently.&amp;nbsp; To make things a little easier to find, we&#8217;ve produced &#8220;specification resource map&#8221; which maps the AQA BUSS1 spec against relevant tagged content on the tutor2u Business Studies blog.&amp;nbsp; This is provided using a hyper&#45;linked pdf file which is automatically updated every time we add a new resource.&amp;nbsp; All you need to keep is the pdf resource map and click on a relevant link.

Download the AQA BUSS1 Specification Resource Map here:</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-08-25T20:01:01+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Adding value &#45; turning waste into gold</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/adding-value-turning-waste-into-gold</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/adding-value-turning-waste-into-gold#When:19:28:00Z</guid>
      <description>Good quality potatoes make great potato chips or crisps.&amp;nbsp; But what do you with the smaller or mis&#45;shapen potatoes which fail the raw material quality test for a premium crisp brand?&amp;nbsp; Simple, you use them to create a premium brand of vodka&#8230;</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Marketing, Small Businesses, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, OCR F291, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-08-25T19:28:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>New to AQA AS/A2 Business Studies &#45; the CPD Course for 2011/12</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/new-to-aqa-as-a2-business-studies-cpd-course</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/new-to-aqa-as-a2-business-studies-cpd-course#When:10:27:00Z</guid>
      <description>Thursday 22 September &#45; Central London

New to AQA AS/A2 Business Studies is a resource&#45;packed CPD course which will provide a huge boost for colleagues and departments wanting to deliver the UK&#8217;s most popular A Level Business Studies specification.</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, AQA BUSS2, AQA BUSS3, AQA BUSS4, TEACHING BUSINESS,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-08-23T10:27:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA BUSS1 &amp;amp; BUSS3 Revision Workshops Winter 2011</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-buss3-revision-workshops-winter-2011</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-buss3-revision-workshops-winter-2011#When:07:44:00Z</guid>
      <description>The confirmed dates and venues for our popular AQA BUSS1 and BUSS3 revision workshops are provided below.&amp;nbsp; These dates broadly mirror the same timing for the sell&#45;out workshops last year, with the additions of Portsmouth (Gunwharf Quays) &amp;amp; Hull (Princess Quay) as new locations.&amp;nbsp; Please make your provisional bookings as soon as possible &#45; Portsmouth is already close to being fully booked!</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, AQA BUSS3, TEACHING BUSINESS,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-06-15T07:44:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Recession?&amp;nbsp; Hair today, gone tomorrow</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/recession-hair-today-gone-tomorrow</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/recession-hair-today-gone-tomorrow#When:20:45:00Z</guid>
      <description>As we enter a period dominated by &#8220;cuts&#8221;, here is a profile of an industry which thrives on cuts.&amp;nbsp; Some great business lesson material here on market segmentation, adding value and the nature of demand for a product.</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSS4 RESEARCH, BUSS4 2010 &#45; UK Recession, BUSINESS THEMES, Enterprise and Startups, Economic Environment, Marketing, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, AQA BUSS4, BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Business, BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Business,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-04-06T20:45:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Sources of finance &#45; the attraction of franchises</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/sources-of-finance-the-attraction-of-franchises</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/sources-of-finance-the-attraction-of-franchises#When:13:34:00Z</guid>
      <description>In general, Banks don&#8217;t like to lend to business start&#45;ups.&amp;nbsp; The risks are high and the returns uncertain.&amp;nbsp; However, there is one kind of &#8220;start&#45;up&#8221; which the UK banks are often happy to finance &#45; franchises &#45; and this is illustrated with the launch of a new £100million franchise finance fund by RBS &amp;amp; NatWest.&amp;nbsp; Details of the new finance fund are provided here on Smarta.&amp;nbsp;  The claimed benefits of franchisees which apply to the fund include:

&#45; Loans of up to 70% for new franchise businesses (percentage of the total finance requirement)
&#45; Two years free banking for new franchises
&#45; Reduced fee of 1% (the loan arrangement fee charged by the bank)
&#45; Up to 12 months of capital repayment holidays (i.e. start paying back the loan later &#45; perhaps when the franchise is better established)
&#45; Loans for existing franchise businesses (e.g. refinance to move away from the existing banker!)
&#45; Access to an unlimited expertise from the dedicated RBS/NatWest franchise team

Why do banks like lending to franchises?&amp;nbsp; The answer lies in the lower perceived risk of a well&#45;established franchise.&amp;nbsp; Over the years, the banks have gained a great deal of experience in working with franchisees.&amp;nbsp; They understand the likely financial profile (revenues, costs and cash flows) of a Subway, Dominos or Green Thumbs franchise.</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Business Organisation, Finance &amp; Accounting, Retailing, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-02-08T13:34:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>AQA BUSS1 Jan 2011 &#45; Tom&#8217;s Salon Calculations</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-jan-2011-toms-salon-calculations</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-jan-2011-toms-salon-calculations#When:19:46:00Z</guid>
      <description>The calculations required of students taking the AQA BUSS1 paper in Jan 2011 are shown below:</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-01-21T19:46:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Insights from an Entrepreneur &#45; Kirsty Henshaw (Worthenshaws)</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/insights-from-an-entrepreneur-kirsty-henshaw-worthenshaws</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/insights-from-an-entrepreneur-kirsty-henshaw-worthenshaws#When:21:36:00Z</guid>
      <description>This fantastic Smarta interview features Kirsty Henshaw, one of the entrepreneurial stars of 2010, who wowed the Dragons with her frozen desert Worthenshaws Freedom. Kirsty is joining us at the Business Teacher National Conference 2011 on Thursday 30 June and it will be lovely to hear how her business has developed since this interview.&amp;nbsp; Kirsty&#8217;s story is perfect as a case study for all business spec units covering the essentials of enterprise and entrepreneurship.</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Enterprise and Startups, Marketing, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, Edexcel Unit 1, GCSE Business, AQA GCSE Business, Edexcel GCSE Business, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-01-08T21:36:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Innovation and ideas &#45; what makes a successful business concept?</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/innovation-and-ideas-what-makes-a-successful-business-concept</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/innovation-and-ideas-what-makes-a-successful-business-concept#When:21:13:00Z</guid>
      <description>This excellent video interview from Smarta focuses on the key topics of innovation, creativity and developing a viable business idea.</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Enterprise and Startups, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-01-08T21:13:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>From crisps to vodka &#45; a profile of a down&#45;to&#45;earth entrepreneur</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/from-crisps-to-vodka-a-profile-of-a-down-to-earth-entrepreneur</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/from-crisps-to-vodka-a-profile-of-a-down-to-earth-entrepreneur#When:09:41:00Z</guid>
      <description>Will Chase is the entrepreneur behind Tyrrell&#8217;s, the potato chip premium brand which he sold to venture capitalists in 2008 for £30m.&amp;nbsp; Now Will Chase has turned his attention to producing premium vodka &#45; and with great success.&amp;nbsp; He really has turned into a serial entrepreneur.



The Independent has this excellent profile of Will Chase. It describes the production process of Chase vodka and outlines the impressive growth in sales revenue.

I love Chase&#8217;s approach to business planning.&amp;nbsp; Speaking of the benefits of staying in control of a smaller, private business, Chase explains that allows him great freedom to experiment and innovate.&amp;nbsp; A classic line with a huge dollop of truth follows;

&#8220;That&#8217;s what you can do with a small business – there&#8217;s no need for a boring strategic plan, we can go where the market takes us.&#8221; 

So true&#8230;</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Enterprise and Startups, Small Businesses, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, Edexcel Unit 1, TEACHING BUSINESS,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-01-07T09:41:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Introducing the &#8220;austerity&#8221; entrepreneurs</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/introducing-the-austerity-entrepreneurs</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/introducing-the-austerity-entrepreneurs#When:23:26:00Z</guid>
      <description>It is often said that enterprise thrives in adversity.&amp;nbsp; Many successful and exciting businesses are born in a downturn.&amp;nbsp; This feature article in the Independent provides some terrific examples of how the entrepreneurial flame burns bright amongst people who have been let down by the traditional employment market,

The underlying theme of each of the entrepreneurial stories told in the article is that of grasping opportunities.&amp;nbsp; That involves hard graft, persistence and an unwillingness to admit defeat.&amp;nbsp; Students should read these stories and learn.&amp;nbsp; Hopefully they will also be inspired!</description>
      <dc:subject>EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, Edexcel Unit 1, GCSE Business, AQA GCSE Business, Edexcel GCSE Business, BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Business, TEACHING BUSINESS,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2011-01-04T23:26:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>Can this start&#45;up win with pay&#45;as&#45;you train gym membership?</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/can-this-start-up-win-with-pay-as-you-train-gym-membership</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/can-this-start-up-win-with-pay-as-you-train-gym-membership#When:20:50:00Z</guid>
      <description>At our recent AQA BUSS1 revision workshops we had a session looking at the viability of the business concept behind The Gym &#45; a growing chain of low&#45;cost, no frills fitness clubs.&amp;nbsp; According to this article on BBC Scotland it looks like the health club market is set for further challenges from new entrants.&amp;nbsp; 

one of the new entrants to the market is payasUgym.&amp;nbsp; The payasUgym programme is due to launch at the start of 2011 and will let customers visit a network of clubs without having to pay membership fees.&amp;nbsp; Gym&#45;goers will &#8220;load&#8221; cash onto an online account which can then be used at various fitness centres.&amp;nbsp; The easyJet entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji&#45;Ioannou is also said to planning to launch a budget fitness club in 2011 with monthly&#45;only contracts costing as little as £15&#45;a&#45;month.

The payasUgym concept is an interesting one in that it utilises the existing capacity of the UK health club sector.&amp;nbsp; The business is avoiding the need to raise the significant capital required to build health clubs.&amp;nbsp; It is simply acting as a marketing channel for existing clubs.&amp;nbsp; How sustainable is that business model?&amp;nbsp; if a customer finds and uses a local gym that he/she really likes, what is to stop that gym from trying to recruit the member away from the payasUgym organisation?&amp;nbsp; Students ought to be be able to identify other potential upsides and issues with this business model.&amp;nbsp; A good one to analyse!</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Enterprise and Startups, Leisure, Travel &amp; Tourism, Small Businesses, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, GCSE Business, AQA GCSE Business, Edexcel GCSE Business,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2010-12-29T20:50:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>New insights into the UK franchising sector in 2010</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/new-insights-into-the-uk-franchising-sector-in-2010</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/new-insights-into-the-uk-franchising-sector-in-2010#When:10:30:00Z</guid>
      <description>I last looked at the size and structure of the UK franchising sector back in 2008 when several exam boards added franchising to their new business specifications.&amp;nbsp; In subsequent exam papers it is clear that the examiners like franchising too &#45; not surprising given how relevant franchising is to key topics such as generating a business idea, financing a startup, choosing a growth strategy, branding etc. 

I have revisited my sources this week and picked up the latest statistics on UK franchising which I have summarised below.</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Business Organisation, Business Strategy, Enterprise and Startups, Marketing, Retailing, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, GCSE Business, AQA GCSE Business, Edexcel GCSE Business,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2010-12-21T10:30:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>BUSS1 Revision Quiz &#45; Using Cash Flow Forecasting</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-revision-quiz-using-cash-flow-forecasting</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-revision-quiz-using-cash-flow-forecasting#When:12:28:00Z</guid>
      <description>This new 10&#45;question revision quiz focuses on the topic of &#8220;Using Cash Flow Forecasting&#8221; for the AQA GCE BUSS1 specification:

Launch revision quiz on Using Cash Flow Forecasting</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Finance &amp; Accounting, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, TEACHING BUSINESS, Business Quizzes,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2010-12-16T12:28:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    <item>
      <title>BUSS1 Revision Quiz &#45; Market Research for a Startup</title>
      <link>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-revision-quiz-market-research-for-a-startup</link>
      <guid>http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/buss1-revision-quiz-market-research-for-a-startup#When:19:16:00Z</guid>
      <description>Here is a new revision quiz which, each time you try it, loads ten questions about market research for a startup or small business.&amp;nbsp; The questions are based on the AQA BUSS1 specification.

Launch revision quiz on Market Research for a Startup</description>
      <dc:subject>BUSINESS THEMES, Marketing, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS &amp; A2 Business, AQA BUSS1, TEACHING BUSINESS, Business Quizzes,</dc:subject>
      <dc:date>2010-12-15T19:16:00+00:00</dc:date>
    </item>

    
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