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Module Catalogue

ES2B6-15 Starting a Business

Department
School of Engineering
Level
Undergraduate Level 2
Module leader
Nigel Denton
Credit value
15
Module duration
15 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

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Introductory description

ES2B6-15 Starting a Busness

Module web page

Module aims

Economic growth requires new businesses to be established and therefore it is important to also generate enthusiasm amongst engineering students for private enterprise and business ownership as a career option and to provide them with guidance on how to start and run a business.
This needs to be at an appropriate depth and with appropriate focus, so that informed decisions can be made and so that he/she is able to communicate effectively with entrepreneurial and business colleagues.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Enterprise and Starting a Business
Small business definition & role in the economy; entrepreneurship; business planning; market research; company formation; acquiring premises; financing the business; understanding finance in a small business; intellectual property rights, managing the business; employment issues in enterprises; growth of a business, exiting the business, enterprise policy.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Understand the environment in which the business and the entrepreneur exist. (C5, M5)
  • Apply business tools including market research and financial appraisal to inform the business start-up and manage its initial growth. (C6 (D), M6(D) C15, M15)
  • Understand the concepts of company formation, intellectual property rights, employment issues and other start-up constraints. (C8(D), M8(D), C9, M9)
  • Produce and appraise a business plan for a new enterprise (C15, M15)
  • Present the business plan to a group of ‘investors’ and defend the robustness of it. (C17, M17)

Indicative reading list

Colin and Paul Barrow and Rick Brown, 'The Business Plan Workbook', 6th Edition, Kogan Page, 2012.
Eric Ries, The Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses, 2011
Nir Eyal, Hooked: how to build habit forming products, 2014
Rob Fitzpatrick, The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you, 2013
Muhammad Yunus, Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs , 2011
Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, 2001
Sir Richard Branson, Screw it, Let's Do it: Lessons in Life and Business, 2010
Peter Thiel and Blake Masters, Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future, 2015
Richard Blundel, Exploring Entrepreneurship: Practices and Perspectives, 2011
Marcus Buckingham & Donald Clifton, Now, Discover Your Strengths: How to Develop Your Talents and Those of the People You Manage 2005.

Subject specific skills

TBC

Transferable skills

TBC

Teaching split

Provider Weighting
Warwick Business School 95%
WMG 5%

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 19 sessions of 1 hour (13%)
Seminars 2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Practical classes 2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Other activity 2 hours (1%)
Private study 125 hours (83%)
Total 150 hours

Private study description

Private Study 125 hrs

Other activity description

2 x 1 hr consultancy

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A4
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Case Based Class Participation 40% No

Individual participation in case discussion during live lectures during weeks 18 to 21, based on a three point rubric. In the event that a student cannot participate live, they can still participate online via Moodle.
Group Project 60% No

2000-word group report and 10-minute group presentation, including peer assessment
Feedback on assessment

Written feedback on Group Reports, Upper Level Pitch Presentation and Class Based Participation; Formative feedback in Tutorials.

Courses

This module is Core for:

  • Year 2 of UESA-HN15 BEng Engineering Business Management

This module is Optional for:

  • Year 2 of UESA-H335 BEng Automotive Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H161 BEng Biomedical Systems Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H63W BEng Electronic Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H113 BEng Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-HH75 BEng Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H315 BEng Mechanical Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-HH35 BEng Systems Engineering
  • UESA-H112 BSc Engineering
    • Year 2 of H112 Engineering
    • Year 2 of H112 Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H336 MEng Automotive Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H163 MEng Biomedical Systems Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H63X MEng Electronic Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H114 MEng Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-HH76 MEng Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering
  • UESA-H316 MEng Mechanical Engineering
    • Year 2 of H315 Mechanical Engineering BEng
    • Year 2 of H316 Mechanical Engineering MEng
  • Year 2 of UESA-H605 Undergraduate Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Year 2 of UESA-H606 Undergraduate Electrical and Electronic Engineering MEng