Advanced Certificate In Applied Management (Small Business)

Course Code	VBS001
Fee Code	AC
Number of Assignments	62
Duration (approx)	900 hours

This is a flexible, relevant course for those wanting to train to move into supervisory or managerial positions.

CORE UNITS

Office Practices

Develops basic office skills covering use of equipment, communication systems (telephone, fax, etc) and office procedures such as filing, security, workplace organisations, etc.
The course consists in eight lessons where these subjects are developed.

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

Business Operations

The aim of this course is to provide you with the building blocks for a successful career in business planning and operations. Covering topics such as business law, the money market, taxation, business plan writing and mistakes to avoid, it is a solid foundation, developed by highly qualified and experienced professionals.
Develops knowledge of basic business operations and procedures (eg. types of businesses, financial management, business analysis, staffing, productivity, etc) and the skills to develop a 12 month business plan.

There are 6 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction
   • Business law
   • types of businesses
   • starting a business
2. Finance
   • Liquidity
   • The money market
   • terminology
   • insurance
3. Financial Records
   • Simple Bookkeeping procedures
   • cash flow
4. Financial Management
   • Taxation
   • costing
   • budgeting
   • investing
5. Business Planning Developing a 12 month business plan.
6. Mistakes to avoid
   • Reasons for business failures
   • profitability
   • improving productivity

Management

Make sure your management style is grounded in the 'tried and true'. This course outlines management theories and procedures, problem solving and decision making tactics, staff management, supervision, recruitment and workplace health and safety.
Developed by professionals with a substantial amount of industry experience, it is the perfect foundation for a successful career.

There are 6 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction & Organizational Structures
2. Management Theories & Procedures
3. Problem Solving & Decision Making
4. Management Styles & External Influences
5. Employing People & Interview Skills
6. Staff Management

Marketing Foundations

Develops a broad understanding of marketing and specific skills in writing advertisements, undertaking market research, developing an appropriate marketing plan and selling. The course consists in ten lessons, as follows:

1. Marketing and the Business What is marketing, and its significance, Considering alternative approaches to business & marketing, Alternative enterprises (eg. goods or services based, sole proprietor or partnership etc).
2. Scope of Marketing Understanding basic economics (eg. supply & demand); the difference between the potential market, available market, target market, and penetrated market for a product/service of your choice; Different advertising approaches, Controlling Growth, Improving Results in Business, etc
3. Target Marketing Understanding the market place; Stages that sellers move through in their approach to a market, What is targeting, Advantages of target marketing as compared to mass marketing and product-differentiated marketing
4. The Marketing Mix and Managing the Marketing Effort Product, price, place, and promotion; Affects and interactions between marketing and other operations of a business.
5. Product Presentation and Packaging Importance of product knowledge, Core, tangible and augmented products; Differences in packaging & presentation for different products.
6. Promotion Communication skills, Merchandising, Shop Floor Layout, Displaying Products, Signs, Understanding Selling and Increasing Sales, Sales Methods, Publicity Marketing,
   Structuring an Advertisement or Promotion, Advertising budgets, etc
7. Product Pricing and Distribution Pricing, Profitability Ratios, Increasing Turnover, etc
8. Customer Service Methods of assessing customer satisfaction; Significance of Customer Service; Different types of customers in the market place, and how best to approach each; Difference between selling, publicising, marketing and advertising, etc
9. Market Research The research process, What to research, Surveys, Developing and conducting a market research program, where to find useful statistics,
10. Organisations - Structures and Roles Business law; Financial Management, Business Structures, Business terminology, etc.

STREAM STUDIES: SMALL BUSINESS

1. BOOKKEEPING I

The course consists of thirteen lessons, as follows:

1.   Introduction
2    Balance Sheet
3.      Analysing and Designing  Accounting Systems
3.      The Double Entry Recording Process
4.      Cash Receipts and Cash Payments Journal
5.      Credit Fees and Purchases Journal
6.      The General Journal
7.      Closing the Ledger
8.      Profit and Loss Statement
9.      Depreciation on Non-current Assets
10.  Profit Determination and Balance Day Adjustments
11.  Cash Control:  Bank Reconciliation and Petty Cash
12.  Cash Control: Budgeting

2. ENTREPRENEURSHIP

There are 10 lessons in this module as follows:

1.      Scope & Nature of Entrepreneurship
2.      Is Entrepreneurship Right for You?
3.      Assessing opportunities
4.      The Role of Market Research
5.      Intellectual Property
6.      Legal & Ethical Concerns
7.      Operating a Business
8.      The Business and Financial Plan
9.      Marketing
10.  Launching a Venture

3. ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS

The course contains ten lessons, outlined below:

1.  Analysing the Market
2.  Target Marketing
3.  Display and Display Techniques
4.  Advertising and Promotions Strategy
5.  New Product Development
6.  Sales Techniques – General
7.  Writing Advertisement
8.  Electronic Marketing -Telephone & Email
9.  Direct Mailing
10.  Exhibitions & Shows

 

INDUSTRY PROJECT OR WORK EXPERIENCE

This is the final requirement that you must satisfy before receiving your award.

There are two options available to you to satisfy this requirement:

Alternative 1.

If you work in the industry that you have been studying; you may submit a reference from your employer, in an effort to satisfy this industry (ie. workplace project) requirement; on the basis of RPL (ie. recognition for prior learning), achieved through your current and past work experience.

The reference must indicate that you have skills and an awareness of your industry, which is sufficient for you to work in a position of responsibility.

Alternative 2.

If you do not work in the relevant industry, you need to undertake a project as follows.

Procedure for a Workplace Project

This project is a major part of the course involving the number of hours relevant to the course (see above). Although the course does not contain mandatory work requirements, work experience is seen as highly desirable.

This project is based on applications in the work place and specifically aims to provide the student with the opportunity to apply and integrate skills and knowledge developed through various areas of formal study.

Students will design this project in consultation with a tutor to involve industry based activities in the area of specialized study which they select to follow in the course. The project outcomes may take the form of a written report, folio, visuals or a mixture of forms. Participants with relevant, current or past work experience will be given exemption from this project if they can provide suitable references from employers that show they have already fulfilled the requirements of this project.

For courses that involve more than 100 hours, more than one workplace project topic may be selected. For example, 200 hours may be split into two projects each of 100 hours. This will offer the student better scope to fulfill the needs of their course and to meet the number of hours required. Alternatively, the student may wish to do one large project with a duration of 200 hours.

Students will be assessed on how well they achieve the goals and outcomes they originally set as part of their negotiations with their tutor. During each 100 hours of the project, the students will present three short progress reports. These progress reports will be taken into account when evaluating the final submission. The tutor must be satisfied that the work submitted is original.

If the student wishes to do one large 200 hour report, then only three progressive reports will be needed (however the length of each report will be longer).

Training for Entrepeneurs, Small Businessmen or anyone seeking to improve their career prospects in the world of Commerce.

It offers core study options (including Office Practice, Management, Business Operations and Marketing Foundations), as well as specialist subjects, which focus on those areas highly applicable to small business. These are: Bookkeeping I (the successful completion of which enables you to join the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers), Entrepreneurship, and Advertising & Promotions.
In addition, this course offers further specialisation specific to your field of interest, in the form of an Industry Project.
This course is internationally accredited through I.A.R.C