The Biz Quiz - 20 November 2009

The latest version of the Biz Quiz is now available

Launch interactive version of the Biz Quiz

Download printable version (pdf)

Download VLE Import file

3 - 2 - 1 Lesson Lift Off!

Just put this on TES and thought I would share it with everyone. I did it today with my Year 10’s.

3 2 1 Lesson Lift Off is a great bellwork activity to get the students working as soon as they walk through the door…

Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review

What’s behind the BA and Iberia Merger?

There are lots of resources available (and a video clip to follow) for an interesting business merger case study.  What factors have encouraged BA and Iberia to merge?  What will it mean for the firm and for its customers?

Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review

HR Professionals stock up on free pens, and debate their future

Today is the final day of this year’s annual HR Conference and general knees-up, held for the first time in Manchester, having relocated there from its former home in Harrogate.

The CIPD Conference is the opportunity for HR professionals to keep in touch with current developments and trends in HR best practice as well as stock up on free pens, paper-clip dispensers and other marketing freebies.

So what’s been exercising the minds of the nation’s HR Managers this week?

Starter Activity - 15 Word Challenge

Ask any pupil to read something, chances are that when they do they do so passively, thinking about what time the lesson finishes or what tonights bush tucker trial will be. Will they read it properly or critically?

I saw this activity done whilst observing another teacher and I did it today with great results…

Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews

BOGOF becomes BOGOFL (or BNFNT)

BOGOFL hasn’t quite got the same ring to it has it - but it’s a development that is being used in the latest round of supermarket wars.

BOGOFL stands for “Buy One Get One Free Later”, and involves the customer receiving a voucher at the till which entitles them to a second product free at a later date.  It is also referred to as BNFNT (Buy Now Free Next Time)

The idea was first announced by Tesco in October as a response to criticism that BOGOF offers created waste as many of the foodstuffs were going off before customers could use the free product.  However, today Tesco’s arch rival Sainsburys, which has seen some positive signs lately, were able to implement the idea before Tesco and launched the offer on two products.

Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews

Advertising Coming To A Windows 7 Desktop Near You

In an interesting move, Microsoft has announced the launch of a pilot program that involves selling advertising space on Windows 7 desktops.

A number of high profile brands, including Coca-Cola and Porsche, are participating in the pilot scheme.  Advertising will appear in the Windows 7 interface itself as well as add-ons to the Internet Explorer browser, according to Microsoft.  There will also be downloadable Windows 7 Themes designed by the brands.

Why are Microsoft making such a move, and will it be effective?

Rated: (4/5), based on 1 review

Starter Video Clip for Motivation

This is an amazing, amazing clip to introduce the topic of motivation....

Rated: (4/5), based on 1 review

A tale of two bakers

Tom White’s excellent piece on the rapid growth and success of Greggs could be used to compare and contrast with a piece of bad news for those of us here in Yorkshire used to getting our lunchtime nibbles from Ainsley’s…

Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews

Emerging markets drive demand for oil

A neat graphic on The Economist website this week helps illustrate the rapid economic growth of emerging markets such as India & China.  It breaks down the historical demand for oil from the key economies, highlighting the changes between 1980 and the latest forecasts for 2030 by the International Energy Agency.  The oil market is a good example to use when illustrating the dynamics of changing supply and demand on market prices.  And there is a good discussion to have with students about why an emerging economy such as China, Malaysia or India would experience such a significant increase in demand for oil (rapid industrialisation; wider car ownership etc)

Beating the import threat - luxury furniture

I came across this super short case study in the FT (Oct 09) which is a great example to use to illustrate one strategy of dealing with cheap imports....

Rated: (4/5), based on 1 review

The Biz Quiz - 13 November 2009

Here is this weel’s edition of The Biz Quiz

Launch interactive version of The Biz Quiz - 13 November 2009

Download printable handout version

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Business Resource Update - 13 November 2009

More resources added to the Business Studies blog which you might want to look at…

Eurostar’s competitive forces

Eurostar has been transporting passengers through the Channel Tunnel from London to Paris and Brussels for 15 years now, and is deemed a success. The company say that they have had over 100 million passenger, with 10 million expected to do so this year. Eurostar now accounts for 80% of all rail or air passengers travelling directly between London and Paris, while London’s airports share the remaining 20% between them – while it is little value to passengers travelling to or from other UK regions, it is clearly much more convenient for passengers in the London area to travel from the centre of one city to the centre of the other, avoiding the need to travel to the airport at each end of the journey.

Rated: (4/5), based on 3 reviews

Office of National Statistics publishes annual survey of hours and earnings

As reported in the press today, the latest annual survey of hours and earnings is just out and it provides an amazing insight into wages across the UK. 

Cash flow Clue-doh! The Mystery is Revealed…

Over 1,500 colleagues have now downloaded our cash-flow murder mystery activity - Cash Flow Clue-doh! And we’re getting an increasing number of enquiries asking what the solution is!

Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews

BBC releases salary details of top managers - superb online resource

For an inside view of the organisational structure and salaries of the top 100 managers in the BBC, look no further than this superb online chart published today.

Rated: (5/5), based on 3 reviews

Starter Activity - Spot the Difference

My two daughters love playing spot the difference. Come to think of it, so do I. If I love it, and my daughters love it, then maybe my students will love it.

So, thinking of a different way to deliver Hard and Soft HRM, I came up with this very, very simple idea. Spot the difference.

On a sheet of paper I had two stories of two different businesses. One who adopted a hard approach and one who adopted a soft approach. Wrote the stories myself I did. Both stories contained the key features of both approaches (temp contracts, autocratic management etc for hard and the opposite for soft) and lots of data (increasing labour turnover and absenteeism for hard, declining for soft etc etc etc).

Then, my students had to play spot the difference.

The results, well, each student had built up a complete picture of the difference between both approaches along with the key features and the pros and cons of each approach.

It worked a treat. Didn’t feel as though they were being taught at all. Far better than running through the differences on the board.

We then analysed the issues and did some evaluation.

Job done. 

Rated: (4/5), based on 5 reviews

Coffee – and sausage rolls – still a huge hit on the High Street

A nice case study that we’re all familiar with, just by checking out our local high street.  One isn’t a surprise in the current climate: the booming business of Greggs the baker.  But I am surprised by the other trend.  I was convinced that the froth on the coffee bubble would be blown away by the recession, but so far I’m wrong.  Coffee shops continue to spring up across the land.

Rated: (4/5), based on 5 reviews

Stock control in toy shops and the run up to Christmas

Am I allowed to talk about Christmas yet?  You might think it comes earlier each year, but pity the toy retailers who have to start their planning months in advance.  Half of all the toys sold during a year are purchased in the run up to Christmas.

Rated: (4/5), based on 4 reviews

AQA AS Business (BUSS1) - Key Topic Revision Checklist

Here is a key topic revision checklist which students preparing for BUSS1 might find helpful for their revision note files:

Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews

AQA AS Business (BUSS1) - Exam Topic Tracker

This might be helpful for centres who are getting students ready for BUSS1 in January 2010. As each exam sitting of a new specification passes, it is a useful exercise to track which parts of the specification have been tested and in what way. Of course some topics soon become examiner favourites - tested again and again if students consistently perform poorly. So beware question-spotting.

The questions set in the first two sittings of AQA AS Business Studies (BUSS1) are summarised in our BUSS1 Topic Tracker, which you can download here:

Rated: (5/5), based on 3 reviews

The UK: A nation of accidental managers

Some very useful and provocative research from the Chartered Management Institute indicating that the UK is losing its competitive edge as a result of poor management training

Health & safety in action - the 1 million stroller recall

Bad news for British manufacture Maclaren. Maclaren are having to recall around 1 million pushchairs and buggies in the USA because of 12 reports of fingertip amputations after children caught their hands in the hinge mechanism.

Innocent Drinks - Teaching Accounts Exercise

Innocent Drinks has just published its 2008 accounts (they are required to submit them within 9 months of their financial year-end).  They make interesting reading!

Rated: (2/5), based on 24 reviews

Business Teacher Resource Update - 9 November 2009

We’re entering a hugely busy period for new materials being added to the Business Studies blog - so I thought it might be useful to signpost some of these in case you haven’t had time for a browse.

Business Strategy Lesson Idea - Pest Control and Parcels

Here’s a cracking good case study to use with the Year 13s studying strategic topics.  Conglomerate Rentokil is going through a period of significant business change after the introduction of new management.  The business is best-known for its pest-control activities (the name of the Group does exactly what it says on the tin).  But is has other, unrelated divisions too, including the struggling parcel deliver City Link which it is trying to turnaround.  This excellent feature in the Guardian brings the Rentokil strategy up-to-date - lots of good A2 business in there, and a nice link to the external environment (Postal Strike) too.

For more information, take a look at the Rentokil investor presentations and audiocasts

Brompton Bicycles - Guardian Profile

Terrific news for Edexcel Unit 4a students - the Guardian has a feature article today looking at the growth and strategy of Brompton Bicycles.  Its a really useful article which focuses on the added value that Brompton provide to its growing customer base.  Some great examples in too there on the role and benefits of staff training, the challenges of retail distribution and on production capacity.

There’s a great quote too from the Managing Director:

“Our patent ran out nine years ago, and if we were making this bike in Taiwan, staff turnover would mean that knowledge would be lost. Years of love have gone into our staff,”

Emerging Markets - Lessons from Four Success Stories

The FT ran a series of four short articles in early 2009 (now behind their paywall) describing the experiences of four businesses who had successfully entered emerging international markets.

In this streamed revision presentation, we have highlighted some of the key learning points from those articles - factors to for businesses to consider as they evaluate the opportunities and threats, risks and rewards from investing in emerging markets such as Brazil, India and China.

Launch revision presentation on Lessons from Four Success Stories

Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review

Emerging Markets Case Study - Mothercare International Expansion

Its sometimes quite tricky finding well-resourced examples of international expansion - but this is a good one.  Mothercare has quietly adopted a strategy of repositioning its group by focusing on expansion into emerging markets like India, Russia and China using its two “global brands” (Mothercare and Early Learning Centre). It has set itself an objective of opening at least 100 international stores every year, using the franchise model of operation.

This streamed revision presentation provides a collection of stimulus materials which students could use to discuss Mothercare’s strategy.  I have brought together some materials from a variety of sources, including press cuttings, annual reports and analyst presentations.

Launch streamed presentation on Mothercare’s International Expansion Strategy

Rated: (5/5), based on 2 reviews

School for Santas

Here is a great example of skills training to meet a seasonal need, which was reported on the BBC website yesterday . A visit to santaschool.co.uk will enable you to register for one of the latest training courses.

Run in association with Dumfries and Galloway Council, Stuart Thompson is, for the second year running, offering a training course which has a very specific objective - to ensure delivery of unforgettable, quality experience to children of all ages. The training at Mabie Farm Park near Dumfries aims to help people take on the role in places like shopping centres and children’s parties and the website says that the training syllabus includes the History of Santa, voice training, costumes, make-up, roleplay etc. They also take bookings for personal home visits and reindeer hire - and the website is very carefully worded to ensure that the integrity of ‘the one and only Santa’ is maintained.

It is a spin-off of a business called Heatherbank Promotions which is an Entertainment Agency for Parties & Events, and strikes me as a great example of entrepreneurial product development!

Rated: (3/5), based on 2 reviews

Sainsbury’s and the electric vehicle superhighway

This story seems like a good example of how understanding your customers can help to develop a competitive advantage. Sainsbury’s already claim that they are one of the country’s biggest users of electric vehicles, and are now encouraging their customers to follow their lead by installing vehicle recharging points for customers’ use at eleven of their London stores. They will not charge for the service, which presumably will enable customers to top up their cars for an hour or so while they do their shopping. Neil Sachdev, Sainsbury’s commercial director, said: “This will turn London into an electric vehicle superhighway, giving electric car drivers greater freedom.” According to the company’s press release, almost 70% of harmful particulate emissions in London come from road transport, whereas electric cars have zero emissions when being driven. Electric vehicles result in between 25% and 50 % less CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere and reductions could increase considerably as technology improves. 

Rated: (3/5), based on 1 review

Critical Path Analysis

CPA is probably my favourite topic to teach. I love it. This idea is not a magic bullet, but is a way to make it slightly easier. Who came up with this idea? One of my students.

I like to operate a slightly ‘Kaizen’ approach to my teaching. I always ask my students what they thought of an activity or how they think they would learn something better. I asked this question recently after teaching CPA and one of them came up with this really simple idea.

What I find is that when students first start to draw the diagrams, they end up in a right mess. Crossing things out, making changes, re-doing the est’s in the nodes etc etc. There notes look awful. How can they revise from that?

One of my students said that I should buy some fine liner pens and get them to draw the diagrams on the mini-whiteboards first. Then, if they get anything wrong, they simply rub it out and start again. Once I have checked their network and it is correct, they can copy it into their notes and they have a sparkling network diagram to revise from. Not only that, they have went back through it, consolidating their learning. Genius.

Can’t take the credit for this one, but it just shows that Kaizen actually does work, as long as you have a ‘motivated workforce’

Enjoy.

Rated: (5/5), based on 1 review

I want to tell you a story

This is a great activity for revision and developing skills of application and analysis.

Rated: (4/5), based on 15 reviews

The Biz Quiz - 6 November 2009

Back after the half-term break, the Biz Quiz has 10 new questions on this week’s business news:

Launch interactive version

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Survive and prosper - emerging markets in the global recession

The Economist Intelligence Unit has just published a report that seeks to examine the business opportunities within emerging markets in the context of the current economic climate.  They have surveyed over 500 companies during July and August 2009 to identify the issues and concerns of businesses that either already operate in emerging markets, or are actively considering doing so.

Emerging Markets - Strategies for Doing Business in China

The UKTI service is a superb support for businesses looking to expand into international markets, and they’ve just released a detailed guide to Doing Business in China.  Its quite a detailed, 45+ page document, but it includes some expert guidance on factors for businesses to consider - particularly if they are looking to invest in China for the first time…

Rated: (4/5), based on 2 reviews

Emerging Markets - China’s Growth in Charts

Here are a series of up-to-date charts which help illustrate the rapid economic growth in China and its effect on key consumer markets of interest to businesses in developed economies…

Rated: (3/5), based on 4 reviews

“Promoting mental wellbeing at work” - superb resource materials

The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence(NIHCE) has today published a set of guidelines for employers on promoting mental wellbeing through productive and healthy working conditions.

Buffett Bets on the Railways

Ignoring seemingly better growth opportunities in emerging markets like Brazil, China & India, Warren Buffett has just made his largest investment yet - in a US railway!