Business Studies

Lecturer: Mr J.A. Lang (jlang@esi.co.uk)

No. of lectures: 12

Or ``How to Start and Run a Computer Company''

So you've got an idea?

Introduction. Why are you doing it and what is it? Types of company. Market analysis. The business plan. Futures: some emerging ideas for new computer businesses.

Money and tools for its management.

Introduction to accounting: profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet, budgets. Sources of finance. Stocks and shares. Options and futures.

Setting up: legal aspects.

Company formation. Brief introduction to business law; duties of directors. Shares, stock options, profit share schemes and the like. Intellectual Property Rights, patents, trademarks and copyright. Company culture and management theory.

People.

Motivating factors. Groups and teams. Ego. Hiring and firing: employment law. Interviews. Meeting techniques.

Project planning and management.

Role of a manager. Pert and Gantt charts, and critical path analysis. Estimation techniques. Monitoring.

Quality, maintenance and documentation.

Development cycle. Productisation. Plan for quality. Plan for maintenance. Plan for documentation.

Marketing and selling.

Sales and marketing are different. Marketing; channels; marketing communications. Stages in selling. Control and commissions.

Growth and exit routes.

New markets: horizontal and vertical expansion. Problems of growth; second system effects. Management structures. Communication. Exit routes: acquisition, floatation, MBO or liquidation. Summary. Conclusion: now you do it!

In addition to the above, there will be four guest lecturers.

Recommended books:

Brooks, F.P. (1975). The Mythical Man Month. Addison-Wesley.

Townsend, R. (1971). Up the Organization: how to stop the company stifling people and strangling profits. Hodder Fawcett.

Townsend, R. (1985). Further Up the Organization. Coronet (2nd ed.) (now out of print but try a library).

Additional books:

Dyson, J.R. (1994). Accounting for Non-Accounting Students. Pitman (3rd ed.).

Niblett, B. (1980). Legal Protection of Computer Programs. Oyez.

Keenan, D. & Riches, S. (1990). Business Law. Pitman (2nd ed.).

Buckle, J.K. (1977). Managing Software Projects. Macmillan.

Institute of Directors (1985). Guidelines for Directors. London: Director Publications.

Drucker, P.F. (1994). Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann.

Weinberg, G.M. (1971). The Psychology of Computer Programming. Van Nostrand.

Anon. (1985). The Cambridge Phenomenon. Cambridge: Segal Quince and Partners.