The areas have been laid out as best I can using the Blogger template. You will notice one or two letters are clipped off at the end of some sentances. Believe me I have tried everything to fit it in.

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Area of Study 1: What is business?

		Foundation Level	General Level*	Credit Level*
1.1	What do businesses do?	- goods and services - difference between small & large businesses - charities	- range of goods and services - private, public, government, voluntary sectors - primary, secondary, tertiary business sectors	- satisfaction of wants - production and consumption - creating wealth
1.2	Why do businesses exist?	- enterprise - profit - charity - public service	- concept of entrepreneurship - aims of business (relative to different types of organisation) and stakeholders	- risk taking - social costs and benefits - economic costs and benefits
1.3	How are businesses organised?	- simple organization structures - 4 functional areas	- different organization structures - impact of size on structure - line relationships	- span of control - functional relationships - difference between authority and responsibility

 

Area of Study 2: How do businesses develop and perform?

		Foundation Level	General Level*	Credit Level*
2.1	How do businesses start?	•- need for enterprise • -identify needs • -buyers & sellers • -help – where to get it • -taking risks • -completing a simple business plan	• -the marketplace • -external information and advice • -identifying risk • -characteristics of factors of production • -preparing a simple business plan	• -researching the market • -calculating risk • -detailed business plan
2.2	How do businesses grow?	• -successful product/service • -expand sales • -takeovers/mergers	• -diversification • -innovation • -horizontal & vertical integration	• -research & development (product & market) • -reasons for growth
2.3	How do businesses survive?	• -need to plan • -saleable products/services • -covering costs	• -planning and controlling • -awareness of budgeting & cash flow • -using final accounts • -calculating and interpreting simple ratios	• -market research • -evaluation and comparison using final accounts and ratios
2 4	Why do businesses fail?	• -competition too fierce • -recession • -cash flow problems • -not moving with times	• -role of competitors • -simple analysis of final accounts	• -business cycle • -response to change • -externalities • -poor resource management
2 5	What is a successful business?	• -achieving objectives • -keeping owners satisfied • -success for business compared with charity	• -appreciation of differing aims of business in different sectors(public, private & voluntary)	• -identification of competing aims of stakeholders

Area of Study 3: What resources do businesses use?

		Foundation Level	General Level*	Credit Level*
3.1	Why do businesses locate where they do?	-where businesses locate - where the money comes from – owner(s); borrowing	-sources of finance -factors influencing location – (market, resources, infrastructure)	-types of government assistance - importance of European Union -globalisation
3.2	How do people contribute to businesses?	-why people work -choosing the right person for the job -job training -full-time, permanent, parttime, temporary jobs - manual, skilled etc	-job/person specification - selection and recruitment (internal and external)	-the role of appraisal -inter-relationship between employees and employers - changing patterns and employment
3.3	How do businesses use information?	- what information is and where it comes from - using computers to generate information – spreadsheets, databases, desk top publishing, word processing, networks, etc - importance of good communications	- internal and external sources of information - using computers to generate information and make decisions	- evaluation of information -using information to monitor and control business
3.4	How do businesses operate?	- how businesses make products or provide services (input, process, output) - how do products get to consumers?	- job, batch and flow processes - people v machines - distribution options	- stock control - quality assurance - customer service
3.5	What are the challenges facing businesses?	- competition from home and abroad	- limited availability of resources & funding external) - internal and external pressures	- appreciation of the impact on business of current political, legislative, social and environmental issues (PESTEC)

Area of Study 4: How are businesses managed?

		Foundation Level	General Level*	Credit Level*
4.1	What are the key decisions that businesses make?	- what to produce •-what to charge •-what to employ •-where to produce	- market research • relationship between price and sales •-people v machines •-whether to grow	•-inter-relationship between components of marketing mix •-combination of factors of production
4.2	What influences the decisions?	• owner needs • customer needs • competition	- the legal environment - the social environment	•-the economic evironment •-the political environment
4.3	What aids decision-making?	- how information helps decision-making • -types of information	• -decision-making model • -range of information used for decision-making	• -complex decision-making model
4.4	How are decisions made?	• -consensual v authoritarian	• -impact of management style on motivation and morale	•- characteristics of effective management
4.5	How do businesses communicate?	• -purpose – to inform, sell • -process – written, visual, spoken •- using IT to communicate	• -formal/informal, internal/external • -select and use appropriate IT • -select appropriate communication methods	• -comparison and evaluation of effectiveness of different communications • -comparison and evaluation of communication technology, eg internet, e-mail, video-conferencing