Overview

Welcome to BUS 116: Starting a Business. This course is cell-phone friendly and is especially designed for students living in areas with limited access to a computer or internet connection where access to formal jobs may also be limited. However, entrepreneurs in any location who are ready to start a small business or side business can benefit from this course. You are required to actually start a small business during this course. You are expected to earn revenue from selling or pre-selling a product or service during this course. Students who are either running a small business or planning to start a small business are the ideal students for this course.

Program Message

BUS 116: Starting a Business is the first of four entrepreneurship courses in the mobile-friendly Entrepreneurship Certificate. Students are encouraged to complete BUS 117, BUS 118, and BUS 119 following this BUS 116 course.

Entrepreneurship Certificate Classes

Course	Topics Covered
BUS 116: Starting a Business	Adopting an abundance mindset Finding the right opportunity Defining your customer Listening to your customers Identifying your value proposition Selling Profit and loss statements
BUS 117: Growing a Business	Experimenting in your Business Making your business profitable Selling to more customers Increasing sales to existing customers Managing your suppliers Managing your inventory
BUS 118: Expanding a Business	Expanding your profits Keeping customers Expanding your products and services Hiring people Expanding your physical resources Improving your business processes
BUS 119: Strengthening a Business	Measuring and testing the impact of expansion Using financial statements Standardizing business policies and procedures Training employees and partners Keeping customers Business ethics Presenting your plan to investors

Requirements

Prerequisites

No prerequisites.

Required Resources

Technology

Students will be successful in this course if they have a mobile device, meaning a smartphone with an Android 9+ or iOS 14+ operating system. For more information go to Pathway Technology Requirements or talk to your instructor.

You will use Microsoft Word in this course. If you do not yet have the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) on your computer, you may use this free download to obtain the software. If you need help with the any Microsoft Office product, contact BYU-Idaho Help by choosing the Help button in the left-hand menu and then choose BYU-Idaho Help.

NOTE: The free download is only for BYU-I students.

• You must sign up for the social media app: “WhatsApp.” It is a free downloadable app. WhatsApp allows users to send text and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images and documents. If you have problems accessing WhatsApp or joining your group, please contact your instructor.
• This course uses a no-cost workbook (BUS 116: Starting a Business Workbook) that can be downloaded in the course and accessed on a mobile device or computer. If you have problems accessing the workbook, please contact your instructor.

Resource Title/Description (books, software, etc.)	Author/Provider	Ed./Vol.	13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)
BUS 116: Starting a Business Workbook	BYU-Idaho	N/A	N/A

Structure

Course Outcomes

• Explain principles of acting in faith to improve spiritual and temporal welfare.
• Explain introductory principles of starting a business.
• Demonstrate application of basic business principles to generate revenue.

Major Assignments

In this course you are required to start a business or apply these lessons to a business you already started.

The table below is meant to help you see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes.

Major Assignment	Description	Course Outcome #
W01 Submit: Bigger or Better Activity	Start with something small and trade for something bigger and better. Learn that you don't need a lot to get started.	1,2
W02 Submit: Opportunity	Select a business opportunity and report on the process you took to come to your decision.	1,2
W03 Submit: Customer	Explain what you have learned about customers and report on your interview of potential customers.	1,2,3
W04 Submit: Value Proposition	Explain value propositions and articulate your business and personal value proposition.	1,2,3
W05 Submit: Selling	Explain how faith and selling are related and how selling connects customers to their wants and needs. Then report on your sales for the week.	1,2,3
W06 Submit: Profit	Maintain a daily expense/revenue log, and create a profit and loss statement. Report on how you keep your business and personal funds separate.	1,2,3

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions. 

Recommended Schedule*	Learning Model	Activity Title	Description
Monday	Prepare	READ	Learn about how to start and improve your business through these readings.
Monday	Prepare	READ Business Example	Read about real life examples of entrepreneurs applying what you learned about in the readings.
Tuesday	Ponder/Prove and Teach One Another	PLAN	Make a plan for how you are going to start or improve your business. Seek, share, and provide feedback in WhatsApp.
Monday - Saturday	Ponder/Prove and Teach One Another	ACT	Through the week implement the plan you made; take action. Share in WhatsApp.
Friday or Saturday	Ponder	REFLECT	Reflect on what you learned by implementing your plan.
Friday or Saturday**	Prove	SUBMIT	Report on your plan and the implementation of your plan in this assignment which will be submitted for a grade.

*Set your time zone within user preferences so the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for your time zone.
**The only due date in Canvas is to submit your assignment by the end of the week.

Learning Model

Prepare: Students study the material for the week and read about real life entrepreneurs and how they applied the topic for the week in their business.

Teach One Another: Students participate in discussions with their WhatsApp group, answering questions posed in the course workbook.

Ponder and Prove: Students complete and submit projects weekly for grading and feedback.
Expectations

Academic Honesty

Our mission at BYU–Idaho is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ. As such, all students of the university are expected to be honest in all things. "We believe in being honest" (Article of Faith 1:13 ).

As part of the Church Educational System Honor Code, you are expected to complete your own work for each course so your knowledge and skills can be verified. The following are dishonest and are not the actions of a disciple of Christ:

• Saying you have completed something you haven’t actually personally done.
• Posting or sharing your work (projects, assignments, etc.) to any online website, through electronic communication, or any other means.
• Obtaining another person's work and submitting all or part of it as if it was your own work.
• Posting or sharing course materials, including but not limited to, quiz and exam questions and/or answers, or any other materials from the course.
• Obtaining quiz and exam questions and/or answers from any other website, person, or means.

The consequences of academic dishonesty are not worth the risk; the reward for honesty is worth far more than any grade. Thank you for your honesty as you complete this course and future courses.

Feedback

You can expect to receive grades and feedback within 7 days of the due date for all assignments. Feedback for your assignments will be found in the rubric. Study the material in Rubrics Basics to learn how to effectively use rubrics.

Workload

If you want your business to succeed you must put in the time to learn, create, and grow your business. The more time you put into your business the more you will get out of it. This is an important work you are doing in this class. Put in the time needed to learn and create a business that you will be proud to own.

This is a three-credit class offered in 7 weeks; so, you are expected to spend at least 15 hours per week completing BUS 116 coursework and working on your business. Even though this course has only one weekly due date, you are encouraged to work on the course throughout the week as suggested in the “Weekly Pattern” timelines above.

The majority of your coursework will be implementing, acting, practicing, and doing business. This is an application/experiential course. Consequently, you cannot open up the assignments or the course and expect to complete all your assignments on Friday or Saturday. 

To be successful in this course, it will help if you view your experience as “learning by doing.” The following demonstrates an “entrepreneur mindsets”.

Entrepreneur Mindset
What can I do to maximize my learning? How can I be more innovative? What can I do to maximize profits? How can I increase my sales? What can I do more to improve my customer experience? Can I do more?

We encourage you to have an entrepreneurial mindset as you complete this course. Ultimately, you are only blessing yourself, your family, and potentially future generations.

Communication with Instructors

This course and certificate are part of a United States-based University education. While it is critical for you to follow local customs, cultures, and traditions when you interact with customers, suppliers, and others in your local area; in this class you will interact with instructors who will use a U.S. business style of communication. For example, in some cultures, it may be uncomfortable to make a direct request for help from an instructor or from a person who is older than you. It may not be appropriate to explain problems or difficulties you are having in understanding instructions or using technology. 

In this class, it is expected and important for you to tell your instructor when you have a problem, to explain what is wrong, and to ask for help. In U.S. business culture, it is appropriate to begin a conversation by asking for what you need. This is because in the U.S, business people want to use their time very carefully and prioritize efficiency in business. They want you to quickly explain your problem, your request, or your need. For example, in some cultures, you might begin an email to your instructor like this: “Dear instructor, How are you doing? I hope your family is doing well. I hope you are having a good day.” In the U.S., you would begin an email like this: “Dear instructor, I am having a problem with the first assignment.” In this class you should also practice being specific in your communication. If you are having a problem submitting an assignment, describe the problem to your  instructor with as much detail as you can. Include screenshots that could help demonstrate your problem.

Group Work

In this class we work together as students and instructors in WhatsApp groups to give you a place to share your ideas and get feedback. During Week 1 you will be given a link to join your WhatsApp group for the class. You will also be added to a WhatsApp communication channel where the instructor will post announcements. Remember these groups and the information in these groups (including WhatsApp contact information) is only to be used for class purposes.

Late Work

Turning work in on time is a sign of professionalism and respect for the instructor as well as the other students in the class. Students are expected to submit all work on time. How can you expect your fellow students to give you feedback if you submit late work when they have already moved on to the next task? Inversely, how can you provide feedback to your fellow entrepreneurial peers, if you yourself are not keeping pace in the course and assignments?

If you do not submit an assignment or graded quiz by the due date, that assignment or quiz will automatically be given a score of zero. If you choose to submit work late, you may still receive points for that late work. To prevent falling behind, it is best to submit your work on time or early.

Accommodations can be made for those who have difficulties submitting assignments on time. Contact your instructor if you need help. PLAN AHEAD, at the end of each week you will need to have access to the internet to submit your work. 

Retries

For each assignment you will have three attempts. If the grade you receive is lower than you want, you are encouraged to improve your work and resubmit the assignment for a better grade.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percent
A	100% - 93%
A-	92% - 90%
B+	89% - 87%
B	86% - 83%
B-	82% - 80%
C+	79% - 77%
C	76% - 73%
C-	72% - 70%
D+	69% - 67%
D	66% - 63%
D-	62% - 60%
F	59% and lower

Grade Questions

In this course, the assignments are graded by certified graders. The inclusion of graders in this course is to help instructors have more time to provide student support. If you have a question about a grade, please message your grader in Canvas through the "Assignment Comments" box.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Accessibility Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Accessibility Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Accessibility Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
• Student with Disabilities
• Complaints and Grievances
• Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.