Vietnam National University – HCMC

International University

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

COURSE SYLLABUS1
BA151IU

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND
SMALL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
 Note: The outline with specific venue and time, and updated learning
materials for the current semester will be provided to the enrolled students
by the lecturer
BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

1. COURSE STAFF

Lecturer: Nguyen Vo Hien Chau

Room: A1.306
Telephone: 0822191189
E-mail: nvhchau@hcmiu.edu.vn
Consultation Hours: Monday: 13:00 – 16:00
Wednesday: 8:00 – 11:30

Should the students wish to meet the staff outside the consultation hours, they are advised
to make appointment in advance.

2. COURSE INFORMATION
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22.1 Teaching times and Locations
Please Join the Class Online Team on MS Team via the following links:
Thursday Morning: shorturl.at/djkoO
Thursday Afternoon: shorturl.at/ewJLN

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22.2 Units of Credit
This course is worth 3 credits.

2.3 Parallel teaching in the course

There is no parallel teaching involved in this course.

2.4 Relationship of this course to others

Prerequisite: none

2.5 Approach to learning and teaching

Employing the interactive learning and problem-based teaching approach, this course
emphasizes the interaction between lecturers and students. The lecture materials will be
uploaded in Blackboard to help the students to preview the materials and to concentrate
on listening and critical thinking during the lecture. This will help students to interact
with the lecturer during the classroom. The sessions for presentations and discussions
comprise company case studies as well as answering some theoretical and conceptual
questions, which help the students to see how the concepts are applied in the real
international business context. Students will present the case to the class and discuss with
the peers.

3. COURSE AIMS AND OUTCOMES

3.1 Course Aims

 Describe the entrepreneurial profile and evaluate your potential as an entrepreneur
 Explain the steps the entrepreneur must complete when starting a new business
venture

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

 Describe the elements of a solid business plan

 Complete self-analysis of entrepreneurial competencies
 Describe key business terms demonstrating overall business knowledge
 Analyze various new business options
 Complete a written business plan
 Demonstrate the keys to making an effective business plan presentation

3.2 Student Learning Outcomes

After studying this course, the students would be able to build on personal as well as
external resources with a view to successfully launching and subsequently managing their
enterprises. They would have not only a definite idea as to which support/developmental
agency to look up to and for what purpose, but also the necessary know-how and
wherewithal for accessing their help. They would have basic skills in operations, finance,
marketing, and human resource management.

3.3 Teaching Strategies

The learning system in this course consists of lectures and scheduled
presentations/discussions. Lectures elaborate the appropriate theoretical content in the
textbook and readings. Classes provide a more detailed and refined analysis of both
concepts and applied materials. Classes are strongly oriented towards interactive
discussion of the text and cases. In order to gain the most from the lectures and class
activities, the assigned text/reading should be read before the lecture to participate in the
discussions.
All students are required to take active part in the discussions in class. Look at articles
and clippings from business sections of relevant electronic and print media which are
relevant to the presentation topic. The students should explain how the material relates to
the theory discussed in the text. Discuss with group members as to the common strategy
for sourcing, documenting, analysing and presenting cases each week - for which a basic
minimum interaction will be necessary. For the audience, it is important that they
contribute to the case by getting additional information carefully beforehand so that they
are fully familiar with the materials, and are prepared to participate in the discussions.

4. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND CONDUCT

4.1 Workload
It is expected that the students will spend at least six hours per week studying this course.
This time should be made up of reading, research, working on exercises and problems,
and attending classes. In periods where they need to complete assignments or prepare for
examinations, the workload may be greater.

Over-commitment has been a cause of failure for many students. They should take the
required workload into account when planning how to balance study with part-time jobs
and other activities.

4.2 Attendance

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

Regular and punctual attendance at lectures and seminars is expected in this course.
University regulations indicate that if students attend less than eighty per cent of
scheduled classes (absent 3 classes) they will be refused to attend midterm exam and final
presentation. Exemptions may only be made on medical grounds.

4.3 General Conduct and Behavior

The students are expected to conduct themselves with consideration and respect for the
needs of the fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct which unduly disrupts or
interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones, is not acceptable and
students will be asked to leave the class. More information on student conduct is
available at the university webpage.

4.4 Keeping informed

The students should take note of all announcements made in lectures or on the course’s
Blackboard. From time to time, the university will send important announcements to their
university e-mail addresses without providing a paper copy. The students will be deemed
to have received this information.

5. LEARNING ASSESSMENT

5.1 Formal Requirements

In order to pass this course, the students must:
 achieve a composite mark of at least 50, and
 make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks (see below).

5.2 Assessment Details

In-Class Group Presentation 15%

Mid-Term Exam 15%
Business Plan 70%
Total 100%

Bonus point:
Each class have several exercises for you to practice.
For example: prepare the SWOT analysis for TIKI.
If any student can give a thorough answer and actively share with the class, he/she
will receive 2 bonus points.
Students can receive maximum 4 bonus points/lecture, and maximum 20 points in
total, throughout the whole course.
Bonus points will add into your in-class assessment.

5.2.1 Group Presentation: (15%)

We have 2 group presentations.
1. Business Idea presentation (5%). Students discuss with your group and choose
a business idea that you will run. This is your idea for the final business plan

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

at the end of the semester. The purpose of this presentation is for everyone to
contribute to your idea. You can still change your idea even after the
presentation.
Duration of the presentation: 5 minutes.
Your Powerpoint shall have maximum 10 slides.
2. Business feasibility Analysis (10%):

Each group will choose 01 new start up business (already started up by

someone else) and conduct a feasibility analysis. Please note that the business
you choose should be established less than 5 years.
To save time, you can choose the business in the same industry with your
business idea. The presentation should have three main parts:
A. Introduction of the business (Its name, Founder, Product/Service, Established
year, Business size, current situation)
B. A feasibility analysis includes:
a. Industry and Market feasibility
b. Product or Services feasibility
c. Financial Feasibility
C. Discussion: your group opinion about the success/failure, challenge, and
opportunity of the business.
Group presentation is assessed based on the content of the presentation and how
the groups handle questions of the audience. Students in the same group will be
judged individually based on their contribution to the success of the presentation.
Hence, students from the same group can receive different results

5.2.2 Mid-term Exam (15%)

TBA
5.2.3 Business Plan (Written Assignment & Presentation) (70%)

The students are required to submit a business plan for a newly setup business.

Length and Style: Maximum 6,000 words, excluding footnotes, figures and
references. The format for assignments is to be 1.5 spaced with 2.5 cm margins
and font size of 12 cpi. Please show the word count, along with all other details on
the cover sheet.

The business plan will be assessed for analytical content and presentation. The
business plan must be submitted before presented. Peer reviews to evaluate each
member’s contribution to the group work and define your final grade. All work
must be original and must not have been submitted for any other subject or course
here or elsewhere. Copying or plagiarizing works of other authors, including your
fellow students or cutting and pasting from the internet and other sources is an
offence and will be seriously penalized.
Due Date: The business plan is due Monday 27th December 2021. Assignments
are to be submitted in soft copy (Via Blackboard).

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

 1-day Late work (after the deadline) will be penalized at the rate of 25
percentage points. Submission after 1-day late will not be accept. Students
will get zero point.
 Students must keep copies of all work submitted.

5.4 Special Consideration

Request for special consideration must be made to the Office of Academic Affairs within
one week after the examination. General policy and information on special consideration
can be found at the Office of Academic Affairs.

6. ACADEMIC HONESTY AND PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another as one’s own (definition
proposed by the University of Newcastle). Students are also reminded that careful time
management is an important part of study and one of the identified causes of plagiarism
is poor time management. Students should allow enough time for research, drafting, and
the proper referencing of sources in preparing all assessment items. The university
regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct and has very strict rules regarding
plagiarism.1
7. STUDENT RESOURCES

7.1 Course Resources

Please note that it is very important to gain familiarity with the subject matter in the
readings and cases prior to attendance in classes.

Textbook:
Norman M. Scarborough. 2019. Essentials of Entrepreneurship and Small Business
Management, 9th edition, Pearson.

Reference Books:
Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur. 2010. Business Model Generation, Wiley.
Robert A. Baron, Scott A. Shane, and A. Rebecca Reuber. 2008. Entrepreneurship, 1st
edition, Thomson.
Richard Dorf, Thomas Byers. 2006. Technology Ventures, From Idea to Enterprise, 2nd
edition, McGraw Hill.

Additional materials provided in Blackboard

The lecturer will attempt to make lecture notes and additional reading available on
Blackboard. However, this is not an automatic entitlement for students doing this subject.
Note that this is not a distance learning course, and you are expected to attend lectures
and take notes. This way, you will get the additional benefit of class interaction and
demonstration.

Recommended Journals
Journal of Business Venturing
1
This is adapted with kind permission from the University of New South Wales.

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice

Journal of Small Business Economics

7.2 Other Resources, Support and Information

1Additional learning assistance is available for students in this course and will be made
available in Blackboard. Academic journal articles are available through connections via
the VNU - Central Library. Recommended articles will be duly informed to the students.

8. COURSE SCHEDULE
Week Topic Learning materials and
activities
1 Chapter 1: The Foundations of Textbook, Chapter 1
Entrepreneurship
Describe the entrepreneurial profile Forming Study groups
Describe the benefits and drawbacks of
entrepreneurship You be the consultant:
Explain the cultural diversity of entrepreneurship College: The idea place
Discover how the skills of entrepreneurship apply to launch a business,
to every career choice and life. p.27.

Homework: Students
must discuss in group and
choose their business
idea.
2 Chapter 3: Creative and Innovation: Keys to Class Discussion
Entrepreneurial success Use Question to spur
Explain the 10 “mental-locks” that limit individual Imaginations to analyze
creativity. Traditional Market and
Describe the steps in the creative process. how to generate a new
Discuss techniques for improving the creative business idea.
process
Describe the protection of intellectual property
through patents, trademarks, and copyrights.

3 Chapter 4: Conducting a Feasibility analysis and

designing a business model Class discussion:
Describe the process of conducting an idea 1. Five Forces Model of
assessment Highlands Coffee.
Explain the elements of a feasibility analysis. 2. 2. Value Proposition
Describe the six forces in the macro environment of Canvas of Grab Car/bike
an industry. 3. 3. Business Model
Understand how Porter’s Five forces Model assess Canvas of Grab Car/bike
the competitive environment.
Describe the various methods of conducting
primary and secondary market research.
Understand the four major elements of a financial

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

feasibility analysis.
Describe the process of assessing entrepreneur
feasibility.
Describe the nine elements of a business model in
the business model canvas.
4 Group Presentation: Business Idea Each group shall
Each group present about their business idea for 5 contribute to other
minutes. Please include your business model groups’ business idea.
canvas in the presentation. This is only a brief How to make assumption
presentation to share your idea. and Hypothesis testing.
5 Chapter 5: Crafting a Business Plan and Class Discussion:
Building a solid strategic plan 1. Prepare a SWOT
Explain the benefits of an effective business plan. analysis for Shopee
Describe the elements of a solid business plan. 2. Prepare a competitive
Explain the “five Cs of credit” and why they are profile matrix for Shopee.
important to potential lenders and investors
reviewing business plans
Understand the keys to making an effective
business plan presentation.
Explain why and how a small business must create
a competitive advantage in the market.
Develop a strategic plan for a business using the
nine steps in the strategic management process.
6 Group presentation: Start up Business Analysis

7 Group presentation: Start up Business Analysis

8 Chapter 8: Franchising and the Entrepreneur Textbook.
Describe the three types of franchising: trade name,
product distribution and pure.
Explain the benefits and drawback of buying a
franchise.
Explain the right way to buy a franchise.
Describe the major trends shaping franchising.

9 Chapter 9: Building a powerful bootstrap Textbook.

marketing plan Ref. Book: Business
Describe the principles of building a bootstrap Model Generation
marketing plan and explain the benefits of
preparing one.
Explain how small businesses can pinpoint their
target markets.
Discuss the role of market research in building a
bootstrap marketing plan and outline the market
research process.
Describe how a small business can build a
competitive edge in the marketplace by using

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

bootstrap marketing strategies.

10 Chapter 10: E-commerce and the entrepreneur Textbook.
Understand the factors an entrepreneur should
consider before launching into e-commerce.
Explain the basic strategies entrepreneurs should
follow to achieve success in their e-commerce
efforts.
Explain how companies track the results from their
Websites.
Describe how e-businesses ensure the privacy and
security of the information they collect and store
from the web.

11 Chapter 11: Pricing and credit strategies Textbook.

Discuss the relationships among pricing, image, You be the consultant:
competition and value. The psychology of
Describe effective pricing techniques for pricing p.446
introducing new products or services and for
existing ones.
Explain the pricing methods and strategies for
retailers, manufacturers and service firms.
Explain the impact of credit and debit cards and
mobile wallets on pricing

12 Chapter 12: Creating a successful financial plan Textbook.

Chapter 13: Managing cash flow
Describe how to prepare the basic financial
statements and use them to manage a small
business.
Create projected (pro forma) financial statements.
Understand the basic financial statements through
ratio analysis.
Explain how to interpret financial ratios.
Conduct a breakeven analysis for a small company
Explain the importance of cash management to a
small company’s success.
Describe the five steps in creating a cash budget.
Describe the fundamental principles involved in
managing the “big three” of cash management:
accounts receivable, accounts payable, and
inventory.

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BA151IU VNU – International University
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management School of Business Administration

13 Chapter 14: Choosing the right location and Textbook.

layout Ref. Book: Business
Explain the stages in the location decision: Model Generation
choosing the region, the state, the city, and the
specific site.
Describe the location criteria for retail and service
businesses: central business districts,
neighborhoods, shopping centers and malls, near
competitors, shared spaces, inside large retail
stores, nontraditional locations, at home, and on the
road.
Explain the site selection process for
manufacturers.
Describe the criteria used to analyze the layout and
design considerations of a building.
Explain the principles of effective layouts for
retailers, service business, and manufacturers.

14 Business Plan Final Presentation

15 Business Plan Final Presentation

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The syllabus is prepared following the format provided by the School of Organization and Management, University of
New South Wales, with kind permission. Latest update: 1st September 2021.