What is Business Studies?

In Business Studies you learn how a business operates. This includes:

* What is Marketing?
* How do you motivate workers?
* Where are you going to get the money to finance your business?
* How will your Business be affected by external influences?
* What do you need to make your product?

The list of questions is endless, so in business studies we attempt to answer these and many others. For this reason it may involve you writing a great deal of explanations to questions and then justifying or comparing your answers. The course takes the pupils through a range of subjects including the set-up of the business, its organisation and structure, accounting and finance in the business, marketing the business’ products and services, its production processes and the people in the business. The subject is new to all pupils and there is a high degree of discussion in class, along with a large amount of ICT work involved.

The course requires the use of relevant business terms, concepts and methods, and aims to develop skills of numeracy, literacy, presentation, data handling and data interpretation.

The assessment.

Unit 1. Investigating Business.
This coursework unit looks at two different businesses and compares how they both operate. (33% of final grade)

Unit 2. People and Business.
This coursework unit looks at 1 business and how it operates. (33% of final grade).

Unit 3. Business Finance.
This is the only unit that is assessed by an external exam. The 2 Business Studies exams form the final 33% of the marks.

All types and sizes of businesses are examined, from the largest and most successful multinational conglomerates to the smallest and least successful enterprises.
Business Studies Applied GCSE aims to develop students understanding of many concepts and situations that will be encountered after school.
It is an excellent foundation for A Level Business Studies or Economics, or any of several business related GNVQ courses.

The Structure of Applied GCSE in Business.

There are 3 units that you will study over a 2 year period.

Unit 1: Investigating Business
This unit will help you to understand the different types of businesses and their
aims. You will look at how they organise themselves, the departments, which make up a business, what they are called and what their activities are. You will learn about how outside influences affect the decisions that businesses make.
Assessment – Portfolio Assignment

Unit 2: People and Business
One of the most valuable resources of any business is its people. This unit helps you to understand the roles played by people with different interests in a business and to look in detail at employers and employees. It helps you to think about workers, about the recruitment and training process and how you might apply for a first job.
Assessment – Portfolio Assignment

Unit 3: Business Finance
This unit introduces you to business finance. You will learn to identify the main costs
and revenues of a business and how these figures can be in a profit and loss account. You will learn how to estimate future costs and revenues and how to calculate at what point a business starts to make a profit.
External Exam – 1 ½ hours.