Basics of Entrepreneurship (3 cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

Content scheduling

1. Introduction to Entrepreneurship
2. Entrepreneurial Mindset and Motivation
3. Business Ideas and Opportunity Identification
4. Market Research and Customer Validation
5. Business Models and Planning
6. Legal and Ethical Aspects
7. Financing the Venture
8. Marketing and Sales
9. Operations and Business Management
10. Growth and Scaling
11. Final Project / Business Plan Presentation

Objective

The student
• Masters the main features of entrepreneurial competencies, recognises their own entrepreneurial competencies and attitudes, as well as recognises the importance of tolerance for ambiguity in their actions and interaction
• Can name and define the phases of setting up a business
• Recognises, from the perspective of their business idea, the key customers, and their role for profitable business
• Knows and can name entrepreneurship-related opportunities at SeAMK, and related support services.

Content

• Personal entrepreneurial competencies, such as self-knowledge and self-efficacy, motivation values, tolerance for ambiguity, and the importance of one’s own attitudes for choices
• Value production in different structures, such as companies and associations
• Basic concepts and revenue model of entrepreneurship and business activity, economic literacy, risk management
• Phases of business establishment
• Business plan as a tool for the structuration of a business idea
• Business activity as part of society, entrepreneurship as part of life
• Familiarization with the entrepreneurship services provided by SeAMK

Materials

Effective Small Business Management; Fifth edition. Norman M. Scarborough and Thomas W. Zimmerer. (1996): Prentice Hall. Inc. A Simon and Schuster Company

Lecturer will provide the presentation slides in Moodle, other entrepreneurship books in SeAMK Library. Students are also advice to research for other information to support their learning and group assignments.

Further readings and materials will be provided by the lecturer

Teaching methods

The class will be conducted in a combination of lecture and in-class assignments and group work, with participants expected to play an active role in discussing the topics of the assigned readings or assignment. The final parts of the class will be final presentation and final Venture Business Proposal.

Exam schedules

Exam dates and retest opportunities will be informed to the students later.

Student workload

There will be total of 81 hours.

- 20 hours for lecturing and in-class activities
- 53 hours for Individual or teams activities
- 8 hours for presentations

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The student can
- take responsibility for their tasks (acts in an entrepreneur-like way)
- recognise their entrepreneurial competences and realize the importance of tolerance for ambiguity in their own actions
- recognise the customer’s key role in the planning of business activity
- recognise, in the business plan, their own competence and the customers and key partners of their company

Assessment criteria, good (3)

In addition to the above things, the student
- can assess their own potential for acting as an entrepreneur
- can assess the chance of success of business operations and becoming an entrepreneur
- can recognise the partners and networks most important for their business
- is familiar with the knowledge base of business and the connection of responsibility with business
- knows the basics of business calculations

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

In addition to the above things, the student
- can assess the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship
- can analyse competitors’ importance for business
- analyse and assess their strategic choices and is aware of the social importance of business activities
- recognises, from the perspective of their business plan, the key risks, masters business calculations, and the pricing of their product or service