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.

Innocent Drinks is a popular case study with students and they have just published their latest (private) accounts. We’ve produced a summary analysis of the financials of Innocent Drinks which might be useful for a lesson on analysing and interpreting financial information:
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/innocent-drinks-teaching-accounts-exercise/

Tom White is a very popular author on the Business Blog and his two latest entries are ideal sources of lesson ideas for AS/A2 Business Strategy:. Tom takes a look at the decline of the British Pub:
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/the-decline-of-the-pub/

and at the strategy behind the recent success of Yum Brands like Pizza Hut and KFC:
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/the-recent-success-of-yum-brands/

Centres around the world preparing for the Edexcel Unit 4a paper in Jan2010 will be delighted with a terrific article in the Guardian which takes us behind the scenes at Brompton Bicycles (the business featured in the Unit 4a case study). Actually, it would also make a great article for AS and A2 students - packed full with key Business topics like niche marketing, adding value, training and patents.
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/brompton-bicycles-guardian-profile/

We’re putting the last touches to our support material for AQA BUSS4 (Emerging Markets) this week, and one resource which might have broader appeal is our presentation on the international strategy of Mothercare. This would be ideal for Edexcel Unit 3 as well as the BUSS4 contingent.
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/emerging-markets-case-study-mothercare-international-expansion/

Looking for starter activities? Lord Sutch has been busy again on the Business Blog - his latest suggestion (I Want to Tell You a Story) is a great activity for revision and developing skills of application and analysis:
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/i-want-to-tell-you-a-story/

Meanwhile, Penny Brooks has found a great example of training employees to meet seasonal demand:
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/school-for-santas/

And HR expert Graham Salisbury has written about the topical issue of flexible working:
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/flexibility-does-it-work/

Finally - those of you who came to the BTNC 2009 will remember Sabirul Islam - the award-winning young entrepreneur. I’m delighted that tutor2u has agreed to provide exclusive distribution of Sabirul’s new Enterprise Boardgame - Teen-Trepreneur. Teen-Trepreneur would a make a great addition to departmental resources - details here:
http://www.tutor2u.net/acatalog/Teen-Trepreneur.html

Best wishes as always

Jim