Overview

Welcome to BUS 118: Expanding a Business. Students in this course will expand a basic small business in a developing country. BUS 118 is the third of four entrepreneurship courses in the Entrepreneurship Certificate. This course is designed for students who are "entrepreneurs of necessity" in a developing country. Students will be required to actually expand a small business. Students who are currently running a small business are the ideal students for this course. Students are encouraged to complete BUS 119 following this course.

Program Message

BUS 118: Expanding a Business is the third of four entrepreneurship courses in the Entrepreneurship Certificate. You are required to complete BUS 116 before taking BUS 117 and complete BUS 117 either before or at the same time as BUS 118, and students are encouraged to complete BUS 119 after finishing this BUS 118 course.

Entrepreneurship Certificate Classes

Course	Topics Covered
BUS 116: Starting a Business	Adopting an abundance mindset Finding the right opportunity Defining your customer Listening to your customers Identifying your value proposition Selling Profit and loss statements
BUS 117: Growing a Business	Experimenting in your Business Making your business profitable Selling to more customers Increasing sales to existing customers Managing your suppliers Managing your inventory
BUS 118: Expanding a Business	Expanding your profits The Selling Process The Marketing Process Hiring people Expanding your physical resources Improving your business processes
BUS 119: Strengthening a Business	Measuring and testing the impact of expansion Using financial statements Standardizing business policies and procedures Training employees and partners Keeping customers Business ethics Presenting your plan to investors

Requirements

Prerequisites

Complete BUS 116.

Complete or currently enrolled in BUS 117.

Required Resources

• You must have a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer for this course. 
• This course uses a no-cost book (BUS 118: Expanding a Business book) that can be downloaded in the course and accessed on a mobile device or computer. If you have problems accessing the workbook, please contact your instructor.

Resource Title or Description (books, software, and so on)	Author or Provider	Ed. or Vol.	13-Digit ISBN (if applicable)
BUS 118: Expanding a Business Workbook	BYU-Idaho	N/A	N/A

Structure

Course Outcomes

1. Apply principles of Christian discipleship to improve temporal welfare.
2. Explain principles of business expansion.
3. Demonstrate the application of business principles to expand additional areas of a business.

Major Assignments

In this course, you will be expanding the business you started in BUS 116 and you grew in BUS 117. If your business in BUS 116 or 117 did not do well and you feel you need to start again, please refer to this reminder on how to start a business.

Start-Up Process

Remember, you have already learned the following start-up process from BUS 116: 

The basic business principles are similar in entrepreneurship, small business, or big business. Take a moment to assess the current situation of your business, this course, and to ponder in your heart and mind the principles you have learned so far.

1. First, we began by asking you to be “doers of the word.” You began by trading something small and insignificant in value for something bigger and better. Then you were required to start a business or continue operating your business. Reflecting on the wise words of the ancient prophet Lehi to his son Nephi, we know this “is a hard thing that [we] have required of [you]” (1 Nephi 3:5). Starting a business is difficult, but you are doing it. Celebrate this! 
2. Second, you looked for an opportunity. You discovered or focused on an unmet customer need or want. 
3. Third, this led you to find out more about your customer. Identifying your customer is critical to the success of your business. 
4. Fourth, once you found your customer, you learned deeper about the value proposition. You considered the delicate question, “Why would a customer choose to buy from you rather than your competitor?” 
5. Fifth, after considering your value proposition, you focused on selling. You cannot have a business without sales. 
6. Sixth, we discussed the money or finances of your business. What is profit at a fundamental basic level? A successful business generates a profit.

The table below is meant to help you see the relevance of each major assignment as it pertains to the course outcomes.

(You may need to scroll right and left to see the whole table.)

Assignment Relevance and Description

Major Assignment	Description	Course Outcome #
W01 Submit: Expand Profits	Experiment in one area of expanding profits and report on the experiment.	1,2
W02 Submit: The Selling Process	Make revenue goals and contact customers to inform future business actions.	1,2,3
W03 Submit: The Marketing Process	Create a Network Marketing Plan and the results of the marketing plan on two target audiences.	1,2,3
W04 Submit: Hire to Expand	Make a time management plan, make plans to improve a business process, and create a job description.	1,2,3
W05 Submit: Expand Physical Resources	Complete the Expansion Project Plan Table, a Profit Savings Table, and report on the company’s progress toward saving money for expansion.	1,2,3
W06 Submit: Process Management	Evaluate your business’s strengths and weaknesses in the production process.	1,2,3
W07 Submit: Wrap Up	Report on your business improvement efforts in the context of resources, processes, value proposition, and current performance of your business. Report on plans for future improvements.	1,2,3

Weekly Patterns

The table below displays typical weekly activities, due dates, and activity descriptions. 

(You may need to scroll right and left to see the whole table.)

Weekly Activities, Due Dates, and Descriptions

Recommended Schedule*	Learning Model	Activity Title	Description
Monday	Prepare	READ	Learn about how to start and improve your business through these readings.
Monday	Prepare	READ Business Example	Read about real life examples of entrepreneurs applying what you learned about in the readings.
Tuesday	Ponder/Prove and Teach One Another	PLAN	Make a plan for how you are going to improve your business.
Initial Post: Wednesday  Responses: Saturday	Ponder and Teach One Another	Participate in Discussion	You will be asked to make an initial post in a discussion board by mid-week. You will also need to give feedback to your peers and support your group members in the course as an important part of teaching one another.
Monday - Saturday	Ponder/Prove and Teach One Another	ACT	Through the week implement the plan you made; take action.
Friday or Saturday	Ponder	REFLECT	Reflect on what you learned by implementing your plan.
Friday or Saturday**	Prove	SUBMIT	Report on your plan and the implementation of your plan in this assignment which will be submitted for a grade.

*Set your time zone within user preferences so the dates and times for course activities will display correctly for your time zone.

Learning Model

Prepare: Students study the material for the week and read about real life entrepreneurs and how they applied the topic for the week in their business.

Teach One Another: Students participate in discussions with their group, answering questions posed in the course workbook and in the discussion board.

Ponder and Prove: Students complete and submit projects weekly for grading and feedback.

Expectations

Academic Honesty

Our mission at BYU-Idaho is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ. As such, all students of the university are expected to be honest in all things. "We believe in being honest" (Article of Faith 1:13 ).

As part of the Church Educational System Honor Code, you are expected to complete your own work for each course so your knowledge and skills can be verified. The following are dishonest and are not the actions of a disciple of Christ:

• Saying you have completed something you haven’t actually personally done.
• Posting or sharing your work (projects, assignments, and so forth) to any online website, through electronic communication, or any other means.
• Obtaining another person's work and submitting all or part of it as if it was your own work.
• Posting or sharing course materials, including but not limited to, quiz and exam questions and/or answers, or any other materials from the course.
• Obtaining quiz and exam questions and/or answers from any other website, person, or means.

The consequences of academic dishonesty are not worth the risk; the reward for honesty is worth far more than any grade. Thank you for your honesty as you complete this course and future courses.

Feedback

Expect to receive grades and feedback within seven days of the due date for all assignments. Feedback for your assignments will be found in the rubric. Study the material in Rubrics Basics to learn how to effectively use rubrics.

Workload

If you want your business to succeed, you must put in the time to learn, create, and grow your business. The more time you put into your business, the more you will get out of it. This is important work you are doing. The work is less like a class and more about running your business. Put in the time needed to learn and create a business that you will be proud to own.

This is a three-credit class offered within seven weeks. You are expected to spend at least 15 hours per week working in your business, including completing BUS 118 coursework. To be successful, we expect you to put in as much time as needed to run your business. Even though this course has only one weekly due date, you are encouraged to work on the course throughout the week as suggested in the Weekly Pattern timelines above.

As communicated earlier, the majority of your coursework will be implementing, acting, practicing, and doing business. This is an application and experiential course. Consequently, you cannot open up the assignments or the course and expect to complete all your assignments on Friday or Saturday (mountain time). 

To be successful in this course, it will help if you view your experience as learning by doing. The following bullet points demonstrates an entrepreneur mindset:

Entrepreneur Mindset
What can I do to maximize my learning? How can I be more innovative? What can I do to maximize profits? How can I increase my sales? What can I do more to improve my customer experience? Can I do more outside of these variables?

We encourage you to have an entrepreneurial mindset as you complete this course. Ultimately, you are only blessing yourself, your family, and potentially future generations.

Communication with Instructors

This course and certificate are part of a United States-based University education. While it is critical for you to follow local customs, cultures, and traditions when you interact with customers, suppliers, and others in your local area, in this class you will interact with instructors who will use a US business style of communication. For example, in some cultures, it may be uncomfortable to make a direct request for help from an instructor or from a person who is older than you. It may not be appropriate to explain problems or difficulties you are having in understanding instructions or using technology. 

In this class, it is expected and important for you to tell your instructor when you have a problem, to explain what is wrong, and to ask for help. In US business culture, it is appropriate to begin a conversation by asking for what you need. This is because in the US, business people want to use their time very carefully and prioritize efficiency in business. They want you to quickly explain your problem, your request, or your need. For example, in some cultures, you might begin an email to your instructor like this: “Dear instructor, How are you doing? I hope your family is doing well. I hope you are having a good day.” In the US, you would begin an email like this: “Dear instructor, I am having a problem with the first assignment.” In this class you should also practice being specific in your communication. If you are having a problem submitting an assignment, describe the problem to your instructor with as much detail as you can. Include screenshots that could help demonstrate your problem.

Group Work

In this class, we work together as students and instructors a discussion board each week. The discussion board activities give you a place to share your ideas and get feedback. Remember that these groups and the information in these groups is only to be used for class purposes.

Late Work

Turning work in on time is a sign of professionalism and respect for the instructor as well as the other students in the class. Students are expected to submit all work on time. Students cannot give you feedback if you submit late work after they’ve already moved on to the next task. Likewise, you won’t be able to provide feedback to your fellow entrepreneurial peers if you yourself are not keeping pace.

If you do not submit an assignment or graded quiz by the due date, that assignment or quiz will automatically be given a score of zero. Submitting work late may still earn you points, as long as it is within two weeks of the due date or before the end of the term in Weeks 05–07. To prevent falling behind, submit your work on time or early.

Accommodations can be made for those who have difficulties submitting assignments on time. Contact your instructor if you need help. It is important to plan ahead because of the need for internet access to submit your assignments at the end of each week.

Pictures

You will be required to submit pictures of what you have been working on throughout this class. When you see this picture icon attached underneath this paragraph, you will know that you will need to use your phone to take a picture. Then, in the assignment or discussion board, you will be include that picture.

 

Communication for Class

Your instructor will use Announcements to give important information to the class. These announcements will contain helpful tips and spiritual thoughts at the beginning of each week. The tips are specific to the assignments and geared towards helping you avoid common mistakes.

You will use the course discussion boards for regular class communication. 

Please email your instructor if you have private concerns.

Questions

If you have any questions about the course, ask your instructor by responding to an Announcement. That way, the entire class can learn the answer too. If it is a private concern, please email your instructor.

If you don’t know where to go to get a question answered, the Frequently Asked Questions and Student Resources section of the workbook may help you find the answers you need.

Retries

For each assignment you will have two attempts. If the grade you receive is lower than you want, you are encouraged to improve your work and resubmit the assignment for a better grade.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percent
A	100%–93%
A-	92%–90%
B+	89%–87%
B	86%–83%
B-	82%–80%
C+	79%–77%
C	76%–73%
C-	72%–70%
D+	69%–67%
D	66%–63%
D-	62%–60%
F	59% and lower

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Review the Applied Business Management Program AI Policy because depending on the severity of the improper use of AI, an assignment could receive a deduction of a few points or even result in a zero. 

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Accessibility Services Office at 1-208-496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Accessibility Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Accessibility Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at 1-208-496-9219.

Other University Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
• Student with Disabilities
• Complaints and Grievances
• Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.