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Writer's pictureAn Minh Nguyen

1.1 introduction to business management

AO2 : the role of business in combining human, physical, and financial resources to create goods and services


business : any organisation set up to provide goods and services

- aim to satisfy the needs and desires of their customers by selling a good or providing a service


factor of production

  1. land : natural resources

  2. labour : physical human effort and psychological intellect

  3. capital : non-natural ( manufactured ) resources

  4. enterprise : an individual with the necessary skills and ability to take risks in organising the other factors of production to generate output in a profitable way

  • value added : the process of creating a product that is worth more than the cost of the inputs used to product

- the process adds value to the final goods and services sold to customer

- business strive to add value to better meet the needs and wants of their customers

- value added is the measures as the different between the cost of input and the price of the final output


consumer : the people who use a good or service

customer: the buyer of a good or service


AO2: the main business functions and their roles

  1. Human Resources : manage oversees staffs ( personnel ) within orgnization

  2. Finance and accounts : to manage the organisation's money

  3. marketing : responsible for identifying the needs and wants of its customers, and ensuring the organisation's good and services meet these demands in a profitable way

  4. Operation: covers the process of making products from the available resources of the business

AO2: primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors and the nature of business activity in each sector and the impact of sectoral change on business activity

  1. primary sector : refers to the business involvement in the extraction of natural resources and raw materials. value added is relatively low.

  2. secondary sector: business engaged in manufacturing and construction to create finished usable products

  3. tertiary sector : focus on providing a service to consumers and other business ( eg. hospital, banking )

  4. quaternary sector : businesses engaged in the creation or sharing of knowledge or information ( eg: AI )

- sectoral change : shift the major output of primary sector to manufacturing then to tertiary and quaternary sector


AO3: the role of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in overall business activity


entrepreneurship: activity undertaken by individuals who can take calculated risks and initiative in the start-up of new business or commercial project

  • entrepreneur : someone who is willing to take financial risks by investing in a business idea. ( usually self-employed and develop products or service for their own benefits )

  • traits: time management, creativity, leadership, teamwork, business planning and risk management

intrapreneur: someone who develops new products or services within an organisation, usually a large one, for the benefit of the firm and its employers

  • have the same set skills as entrepreneur

  • their creative skills and innovative thinking can give the organisation a competitive edge over its rival

AO2: reasons for starting up a business or an enterprise

  • to be your own boss : for people who prefer freedom of decision making and meet their self-actualization needs on Maslow's hierarchy of needs

  • challenge: involve obstacles and opportunities that employees may not feel otherwise

  • interest and enjoyment : passion, for some the aim is not always profit

AO2: common steps in the process of starting up a business or an enterprise

  1. have an idea

  2. conduct relevant research

  3. produce a business plan

  4. determine a business structure

  5. meet legal requirements

AO2: problems that new business or enterprise may face

  • poor market research: result in the product fails to meet the needs and wants of customers

  • financial problems : inability to raise sufficient start-up finance/ maintain liquidity. start up business often struggle to secure external source of finance of bank to fund their operation. --> cause limited budget for marketing

  • HR : struggle to recruit suitable and experienced employees

  • operation management: lack of relationship with supplier, which can cause delivery and distribution problems

AO2 : element of a business plan


business plan: a formal document that details how an organisation intend to meet its objectives. It adds substance to a business idea and help with strategic thinking and decision making

  1. executive summary

  2. business description : legal status and ownership, goals, objective, mission, vision

  3. business environment: details of market/ industry which the firm operate ( SWOT, STEEPLE )

  4. product description

  5. marketing : projected sales figures and marketing opportunities

  6. finance : balance sheet & income statement

  7. operations : quality assurance, stock control, supply chain management, supplier networks

  8. Human Resources: staffing and organisational chart































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