Certificate in Small Business

Start A Business, Buy a Business or Improve an Existing Business

Course Structure and Content
The course consists of 6 modules:

• Starting a Small Business 
• Office practices
• Bookkeeping Foundations
• Marketing Psychology

plus two other modules chosen from:

• E commerce
• Internet Marketing
• Project management
• Entrepeneurship
• Supervision
• Advertising and Promotions
• Sales Management

Core Module Descriptions

Starting a Small Business
This course takes you step by step through all the process of starting up a business to maximise your chances of success.  You learn how to start your own business, or you can choose to review the running of an established business. Your tutor will guide you through several stages which assess, analyze and improve operations in this "real life situation". There are twelve lessons as listed below: 
1. Introduction to Small Business
2. The Business World
3. Your Alternatives different types of ventures
4. Marketing
5. Planning
6. Basic Bookkeeping
7. Sales Methods
8. Budgeting
9. Developing a 12 Month Business Plan
10. Implementing a Business Plan
11. Reviewing Progress in a New Business
12. Improving Profitability

Office Practices
This module will familiarize you with the nature and scope of equipment and procedures used in most modern offices, laying a solid foundation for improving your performance in any capacity - from office manager to trainee administration assistant.  This course is comprised of eight lessons, outlined below: 
1. The Modern Office
2. Communication Systems
3. Interpersonal Communications 
4. Phone Skills
5. Writing Letters and Other Documents
6. Computer Applications
7. Office Organisation and Procedures
8. Health and Safety in the Office 


Bookkeeping Foundations
Alone this module is sufficient training to be able to do the books for any small enterprise. 
This is a basic bookkeeping course, suitable for either the beginner, or people with very sound, but basic knowledge. (ie. It doesn't turn you into an accountant!)  It does provide a very sound foundation, and does cover more than what is often covered in introductory courses at other colleges. The course consists of 13 lessons, and focus is mainly on small business, in particular service firms.  This subject has 13 lessons as follows:
1. Introduction – Nature, Scope and Function of Bookkeeping 
2. Balance Sheet
3. Analysing and Designing Accounting Systems
4. The Double Entry Recording Process
5. Cash Receipts and Cash Payments Journal
6. Credit Fees and Purchases Journal
7. The General Journal
8. Closing the Ledger
9. Profit and Loss Statement
10. Depreciation on Non-current Assets
11. Profit Determination and Balance Day Adjustments
12. Cash Control: Bank Reconciliation and Petty Cash
13. Cash Control: Budgeting

Marketing Psychology
This course helps you understand the customer or client; and what makes them buy or not buy. It covers eight lessons as follows.

1. People as Consumers
   Understanding the types of psychological “rewards” gained by a person through buying. Distinguishing between consumers, customers and buyers?
2. Market Segmentation
   Understanding market segments and applying the concept of target marketing.
3. Internal Influences –Perception & Personality
   Consumer self image, difference threshold, trait theory of personality, etc.
4. Internal Influences –Motivation and Awareness
   Customer satisfaction, the way complaints are dealt with, stimulus generalisation and stimulus discrimination, etc
5. Social Influences
   Family Influences, Social groups, Developmental Influences, Peer Group Influences (Work and Leisure), Social Class and Culture
6. Consumerism 
   Deceptive advertising, sensitivity to consumer needs, variation between perception and reality.
7. Communication and Persuasion
   Message Evaluation, Selection & Execution
8. Deciding to Buy 
   Why people shop, or do not shop; surveying the market place.

For more information on this course, please request your free course information pack.