Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Startup (BØK385)

In this course you are going to make a business plan in a small group. To make a business plan is a kind of summary of many of the other courses that a bachelor student has studied.

To explain the content of this course we will use some statements from "BØK385- students":

"In this course you have to use all what you have read and probably learnt in other courses. It is really interesting and challenging to practice what you have learnt. And to practice is more difficult that I have thought - all the students should attend this course!"

Welcome to Entrepreneurship and Business Planning!

Knowledge

Students will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of how research or knowledge-based businesses is created and how these ideas can form the basis for specific businesses.

Important themes in the program are: What is entrepreneurship, market analysis, patent/IPR, creativity, finances, budgets, the contents of a business plan, sales/marketing and financing?

The main objectives in the course are:

- How ideas or research can become commercialized.

- What characterizes innovation

- How an idea can be turned in to a business concept

- What it takes to realize a business idea

- What characterizes a successful startup company

- Business Plan objectives and structure

- Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) or "intellectual property / intellectual property" as a strategic tool for business development

- Methods and techniques for investigate market needs and potential demand

- Business model

- Organization, board, management

- Valuation, financing strategy and sources

Students should be able to acquire the knowledge to start and manage a business, considered to be a manageable task. 

Skills

Students should

- be able to prepare a business plan

- evaluate the potential of different business ideas

- clarify the product or the service function for customers/users, customer value and cost estimates

- perform competitor, industry and trend analysis

- perform financial analysis, profitability analysis and risk analysis and identify resource requirements

- prepare and perform a presentation for investors

Competence

Students would be able to

- plan and establish a business that spans time, alone or as part of a group

- acquire updated knowledge in the above mentioned areas of knowledge and skills and also other areas within this subject

- convey key subject matter through the relevant forms of expressions

- exchange views and experiences with other professionals and help to develop good practice

- reflect on ethical issues within the discipline

- see the topic in a broader context on a societal perspective

-use the acquired expertise of innovation in established companies

Course teacher(s)

Study Program Director:

Course coordinator:

Course teacher:

Instruction is provided through nine 3 hours long session. It is expected active participation in class. Between sessions, participants must work independently in groups with their business plan. Students will get guidance from lecturers / or mentors from the business community.

The sessions will be organized as a combination of lectures, group discussions and presentations. During the course we will use guest speakers who are specialists within their fields.

It is expected of the participants that they are working on their group project and business plan throughout the semester

It is a requirement that students work together in groups of 3 - 5 students, and we encouraged interdisciplinary groups. Mark for the submitted business plan is determined on the basis of the formal quality of the business plan, i.e. how well it is documented and argued for the choices made and how the analyzes is conducted. It is the group's responsibility to find a project or idea for the business plan, however the lecturer will be able to assist in finding appropriate projects.

In Norwegian: Etablering av egen bedrift. Vaardal-Lunde and Barkved.

Essentials of Entrepreneurship and small business management. Norman M. Scarborough,Seventh edition, Pearson