Computer Laboratory – Course material 2007

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Business Studies

Lecturer: Mr J.A. Lang

No. of lectures: 8

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

This course is a prerequisite for E-Commerce.

Aims

The aims of this course are to introduce students to all the things that go to making a successful project or product other than just the programming. The course will survey some of the issues that students are likely to encounter in the world of commerce and that need to be considered when setting up a new computer company.

Lectures

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. Productization. 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!

Objectives

At the end of the course students should

be able to write and analyse a business plan
know how to construct PERT and GANTT diagrams and perform critical path analysis
appreciate the differences between profitability and cash flow, and have some notion of budget estimation
have an outline view of company formation, share structure, capital raising, growth and exit routes
have been introduced to concepts of team formation and management
know about quality documentation and productization processes
understand the rudiments of marketing and the sales process

Recommended reading

Lang, J. (2001). The high-tech entrepreneur's handbook: how to start and run a high-tech company. FT.COM/Prentice Hall.

Students will be expected to able to use Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Project.

For additional reading on a lecture-by-lecture basis, please see the course website.

Students are strongly recommended to enter the CU Entrepreneurs Business Ideas Competition http://www.cue.org.uk/

Next: Computer Design Up: Michaelmas Term 2007 Previous: Algorithms II Contents