Small Business & Entrepreneurship

  • Program Title: Small Business & Entrepreneurship
    Credential: Diploma
    Delivery: Online or On-site
    Program Length: 3 Semesters (One year)
    Program Availability: Full time or Part time
    Offered: This program is available starting every Monday.

    Program Description


    Graduates of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship diploma program carry out a variety of business functions within their small business settings. They will have demonstrated a practical understanding of key principles and practices necessary for success in the field of business

    Graduates are prepared to work in individual settings and contribute to self-paced projects with practical presentation and research skills. Graduates use a range of fundamental knowledge and skills in areas such as finance, accounting, human resources, operations management, marketing, sales, and information and communication technology. In addition, these graduates use their functional knowledge in many areas of an organization to achieve strategies within cross-functional settings

    Students have a total of fifty-two (52) weeks to complete their program requirements, starting from the date of their first course.

    Learning Outcomes


    1. Identify and discuss the impact of global issues on an organization’s business opportunities by using an environmental scan.
    2. Apply principles of corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility and ethics to support an organization’s business initiatives.
    3. Use current concepts/systems and technologies to support an organization’s business initiatives.
    4. Apply basic research skills to support business decision making.
    5. Support the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects.
    6. Perform work in compliance with relevant statutes, regulations and business practices.
    7. Explain the role of the human resource function and its impact on an organization.
    8. Use accounting and financial principles to support the operations of an organization.
    9. Describe and apply marketing and sales concepts used to support the operations of an organization.
    10. Outline principles of supply chain management and operations management.
    11. Outline and assess the components of a business plan.
    12. Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work performance in the business field.

    Your Career


    Graduates of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship diploma program are employed in a broad range of employment and self-employment settings in all sectors of business and industry, both domestic and international, including manufacturers, retailers, financial institutions, government offices, consulting firms, and other large and small businesses. This program is general in nature and is designed to provide a wide choice of career opportunities. It represents a base upon which to continue further education if desired.

  • Admission Requirements


    College Eligibility

    • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent; OR
    • Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) Certificate; OR
    • General Educational Development (GED); OR
    • Mature Student status (19 years of age or older and without a high school diploma at the start of the program).

    Call the Admissions Office at 1 (800) 267-2577 for more details. Academic prerequisites for this program may be obtained free of charge through Academic Upgrading.

    Application Process
    Program intake – Apply to this program by visiting our Registration page. If you are entering into this program as a mature student please attach your resume when submitting your registration information online.

  • Courses


    Semester 1
    Basic Study Skills
    Business Communications
    Introduction to Entrepreneurship
    Market Research
    Pricing and Credit Strategies
    Integrated Marketing Communications

    Semester 2
    Effective Customer Service
    Office Applications
    Managing Start-Up, Fixed, and Variable Costs
    Essentials of Financial Statements
    Cash Flow and Taxes
    Project Management
    Financing Strategy

    Semester 3
    Business Law and Managing Risk
    Location, Facilities, and Layout
    Office Technologies
    Human Resources and Management
    Leadership and Ethical Practices
    Franchising, Licensing, and Harvesting
    Social Media Marketing
    Business Planning

    Every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of information provided on our website. The College reserves the right to modify any course, program, curriculum, fee, timetable, or campus location at any time.

  • Course Descriptions


    2015-2016 academic year.

    Semester 1
    Basic Study Skills
    This course will enable students to assess their current study skills and plan for improvement. Students will practice time-management techniques for successful studying. Students will learn to develop powerful reading skills and practice memory techniques to enhance ability to learn and improve test performance. This course will also help students to develop specific study skills for mathematics and related subjects and implement an action plan to improve them.

    Business Writing
    Students will create effective business documents and presentations including: using a clear, persuasive writing style; producing convincing business documents; and creating effective visual communications that deliver your message and improve your business and apply these skills using advanced techniques in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

    Introduction to Entrepreneurship
    This course is an introduction to the concept of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is defined and the various advantages and disadvantages of conducting business as an entrepreneur are introduced. The course describes how free-enterprise economies work and how entrepreneurs fit into them. This course will enable students to find and evaluate opportunities to start your own business and explains how profit works as a signal to the entrepreneur.

    Market Research
    Upon successful completion, the student will be able to search secondary data sources, conduct a management interview and design a research plan based on the identified information needs, conduct personal interviews and focus group interviews, design a research questionnaire, administer the questionnaire to a defined sample, analyze the survey results using Minitab and report findings to management. The course allows the student to apply developed marketing and consumer behaviour knowledge.

    Pricing and Credit Strategies
    In this course the student will be introduced to the relationship between price and strategy. The course will describe various pricing strategies enable students to calculate markups from manufacturer through the consumer. Students will explore the role of trade credit in pricing and discuss discounts, incentives, and other price adjustments.

    Integrated Marketing Communications
    This course in Integrated Marketing Communications will assist the student in understanding the Canadian Marketing Communication environment and how it has evolved. Through a study of the various components of Integrated Marketing Communications (via relevant examples as provided through text and media sources) and how these components interact with one another to solve marketing communication problems, the student will be able to create, implement and evaluate an integrated comprehensive marketing communications plan.

    Semester 2
    Effective Customer Service
    Students will review the key concepts, fundamental skills and proven strategies that contribute to quality customer service in business organizations. Students will acquire a thorough understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with customer service and the process involved in creating customer satisfaction and loyalty. In this course students will develop winning attitudes and behaviours that will translate into success in customer service.

    Office Applications
    Develop a professional attitude towards using technology producing a variety of documents. Business communication and documentation skills using industry-standard software and other electronic tools are taught. Learn how to locate, create, edit, manage, and store documents and information in ways that will increase personal and organizational productivity.

    Managing Start-Up, Fixed, and Variable Costs
    This course will identify the investment required for business start-up and describe the variable costs of starting a business. Students will learn to analyze fixed operating costs and calculate gross profit. Financial record keeping will also be presented.

    Essentials of Accounting
    Develop an understanding of the role of accounting and its relationship to management. Prepare financial statements to determine the financial position of a business organized as a corporation and the results of its operations for a given period in accordance with current accounting standards.

    Project Management
    This course provides students with baseline knowledge of the tools and techniques required to manage projects. This course gives students a comprehensive foundation in project management and organizational management that applies to not-for-profit, for-profit and government organizations of all sizes.

    Financing Strategy
    Students will examine the relationship between a business and its bank and the legal issues involved in electronic banking. This course will explore the legal challenges involved in the various methods of payment and the legal framework of negotiable instruments. Students will discuss the rights and obligations of those connected with negotiable instruments. Students will learn the legal significance of credit transactions in business and methods used by creditors to reduce risk. This course all introduces the legal aspects of business failure and examines the rights and obligations of debtors and creditors when a business fails. Students will learn alternatives to bankruptcy and the stages in the bankruptcy process.

    Semester 3
    Business Law and Managing Risk
    This course provides an introduction to the role and purpose of the Canadian legal system within a business context. This course explains what the law is and where the law comes from. This course provides students with grounding in the basics of governmental operations—legislative, executive, and judicial. This course discusses processes for development of a legal risk management plan consisting of steps, that identify a number of legal risks and recommended action for dealing with them. Students will also explore how business activities may lead to legal disputes and the range of options for resolving those disputes. It examines the litigation process while emphasizing that litigation should be a last resort for resolving most disputes.

    Organization Structure and Ergonomics
    In this students will learn the definition of organizational structure and how the structure of an organization can influence the attitudes and behaviors of organizational members. Students will learn the basic principles of ergonomics, how to design an ergonomic workstation, outlines ergonomic practices for common postures and movements, and how to identify ergonomic hazards and minimize their effects.

    Office Technologies
    This course defines telecommunications and provides an overview of technology—computer hardware and software, telecommunications networks, troubleshooting, security, and ethics. The software section of this course will help students understand the difference between operating systems software and applications software, help students troubleshoot software problems, help students learn how to avoid computer viruses and help students determine how to make ethical choices related to the use of materials covered by the Canadian Copyright Act.

    Human ResourcesManagement
    Students will acquire theoretical and practical knowledge and skills required to become a successful practitioner of Human Resources Management in the areas of recruitment, training, performance management, compensation, health and safety and labour relations

    Leadership and Ethical Practices
    This course will identify leadership styles and describe strategies to prioritize for effective time management. Students will examine business ethics and the highly complex ethical challenges which businesses and individual employees face. Students will consider how they, as an employee, might balance personal and corporate values. Case studies will illustrate how business success is often heavily impacted by the moral consequences of decisions and choices. Ethical issues related to sustainability are also evaluated.

    Franchising and Licensing
    This course describes how businesses use licensing to profit from their brands and explores how a business can be franchised. The course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the franchise sector in an engaging and dynamic environment. Students will gain critical insight, practical knowledge, and analytical skills required to succeed in franchising. The course also examines the history of franchising, legal structure and regulatory environment, franchise relations, strategic planning and system support.

    Social Media Marketing
    In this course students explore five key areas related to social media: theory and foundations, designing social media strategies, monitoring and evaluation, digital communication and applied social media practices for organizations. This course examines how social media is applied to marketing, corporate branding, fundraising, social media campaigns and within organizations to support employee engagement, retention and corporate communication. Students will develop the skills and competencies required to effectively utilize social media tools.

    Business Planning
    This course outlines the four steps of the planning process: setting a mission/vision, setting strategic goals/plans, setting operational goals/plans, and implementation. The course will enable student to understand the components of a business plan and demonstrate proper development and formatting of a business plan.

  • Fees & Expenses


    Fees Apply for this Academic Year.

    • Registration: $100.00
    • Textbooks: $1025.00
    • Shipping: $61.00
    • Tuition: $4,414.00

    Total Tuition & Fees: $5,600.00

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