Business Studies

Fancy yourself at the head of a successful business? Got some great ideas for new products or services? Or maybe you want to work for a large company by working in marketing or management?

No matter what your vision, the Business Studies A-level course gives you an incredibly powerful start to launch you on becoming a business person. All the key topics of starting and running a business are covered. Armed with this knowledge, maybe you could be giving Richard Branson a run for his money in a few years time.

Of course not everybody wants a global corporation. A lot of people prefer small businesses offering individual service and set up their own business, working for themselves. Whether you’re selling homemade products or starting your own e-company, you still need to know about business. Like how to get your products to market. How to price them. How to promote them. And how to get paid. It’s all here.

This course is designed to:

• Enable candidates to focus on the dynamic nature of the contemporary business world

• Provide opportunities for research into topical business issues

• Offer opportunities for the development and application of a full range of academic skills

• Explore real business situations

• Be practical in the application of business concepts

• Understand the role of the entrepreneur and business in society.

In the first year you will focus on decision making in the functional areas of a business which are Marketing, Finance, Operations and Human Resources and begin to understand the factors that influence decisions.

This will provide you with a deeper understanding of how each department measures success and the actions they take in order to improve performance. As well as this you will also be learning about the difference between a manager and a leader and the different leadership styles leaders can adopt to get the most out of their staff.

In the second year you will build on the learning of Year 1 and start looking at strategies for improving performance for a whole business rather than just a functional area. You will look at alternative methods of measuring success for example for businesses who prioritise social impact above profits. You will also learn about the strategies businesses use to stand out in the market place and the importance of innovation and adapting a business to external factors in order to succeed.

Assessment will be through 3 exams at the end of year 13

This A Level will get you started in business and give you the skills and knowledge to progress to university.

The course was specifically written to develop the skills you will need at university. All businesses and other

organisations like charities and schools need sound business skills behind them.