In this course, you will learn about the place of small businesses in the U.S. economy, how to plan before starting or purchasing a business, operating, staffing, managing, and financing your business, as well as marketing and selling a product or service.

You will learn by studying the textbook, doing research, discussing topics with classmates on the discussion board, interviewing a small business owner, completing individual and group assignments, and having a dialogue with guest speakers.

What you learn in this course will benefit you by providing you tools to help you investigate successful small businesses and reasons why some small businesses fail. You will learn about key management concerns and issues to small businesses.

To benefit from from class discussions and group assignments, everyone will follow the same weekly schedule for this course. You will be expected to complete each week's assignments on schedule. You will also be assigned to work online in a group for one assignment.

If you do well in this course, you will be able to:

1. Understand the role of small business firms in the economy, opportunities for their establishment, and reasons for failure or success
2. Understand how to plan to start a new business, to busy a going concern, and to acquire a franchise
3. Know the basic location factors and be familiar with sources of information for site location
4. Understand the role of the basic management functions in a small business: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling, coordinating, and representing the business in the local community and in the industry
5. Finance, organize, and staff small business
6. Become familiar with utilization of outside staff services and the Small Business Administration
7. Appreciate the personnel functions of job analysis, selection, placement, training, remuneration, and morale-building as applied to small business
8. Understand the fundamentals of procurement and inventory control for a small business
9. Appreciate the importance of risk management and insurance planning
10. Understand the use of cash budgeting and financial analysis techniques
11. Demonstrate familiarity with certain government regulations applicable to small business and the various federal taxes
12. Examine and discuss selected cases in small business, making decisions on such cases, and justifying their decisions

Your course grade will be determined according to the following points:  

There are 2 proctored exams in this course. You are expected to take your examinations at one of the NVCC campus Testing Centers. Be sure to allow enough time to complete your exam before the Testing Center closes; Testing Centers have specific policies relating to the administration of ELI exams. You will need to take a photo ID, your NovaConnect empl ID number, and the appropriate Exam Pass when you go to the Testing Center.  

For Testing Center locations, hours of operation and policies, click here.

For information on taking exams outside of the metropolitan area, click here.

I are here to help you succeed in this course. Occasionally questions or problems may arise. Here is how to contact me when they do:

You may also schedule a meeting in person, either at ELI or at my Annandale Campus office. 

1. Use your web browser to connect to http://www.nvcc.edu/bbstart. Follow the directions to determine your email, Blackboard and VIVA account user names and passwords.
2. Access your email account and make sure you know how to use it; you will be required to use this account for all course-related email.
3. Log on to Blackboard at http://learn.vccs.edu.
4. Click on this course under "My Courses." Review the entire course to make sure you understand what will be required of you. Then start completing the assignments.

Please note that account generation takes approximately one week from the time of your paid registration. If you cannot log on after one week, contact the IT Help Desk. If you can log on to Blackboard, but your course isn't listed, please contact ELI or your instructor.