OPEN HOUSE - Pocket MBA Power Hour, Sept 2nd 11AM PDT

astro posted on August 30, 2010 10:07

Join me and David Lady as we outline the new Pocket MBA course schedule. It's this Thiursday and you can sign up HERE. This is the joint gradulate-level certificate offered by Aspen University and SMB Nation.

We will discuss:

Module 1: Qualitative Analysis

This module is designed to introduce problem solving techniques designed to expose students to new ways of looking at problems. Systems Theory, specifically the ‘Breakthrough Model’ proposed by Peter M. Senge and TRIZ (Innovation on Demand) proposed by Genrich Altshuller, are both covered in this module. As students become more familiar with the problem solving ‘models’, they will find that solutions start to present themselves without following the ‘formal’ models.

Module 2: Project Management Essentials

Project Management Essentials introduces students to the fundamental elements of effective project management. It provides students with the opportunity to apply these elements using exercises and examples based on real-time projects. The required tools and techniques used to plan, measure, and control projects and the methods used to organize and manage projects are also discussed.

Module 3: Effective Small Business Management 1

This module introduces the concepts of entrepreneurship as a driving economic force in the world economy, introduces the concepts of strategic management, market competition, competitive advantage, and concludes with a student assessment of their own individual markets and market position.

Define the role of the entrepreneur in the U.S. economy
Describe the entrepreneurial profile
Explain how entrepreneurs spot business opportunities
Describe the benefits of owning a small business
Describe the potential drawbacks of owning a small business
Explain the forces that are driving the growth in entrepreneurship
Discuss the role of diversity in small business and entrepreneurship
Describe the contributions small businesses make to the U. S. economy
Put business failure into the proper perspective
Explain how small business owners can avoid the major pitfalls of running a business
Understand the importance of strategic management to a small business
Explain why and how a small business must create a competitive advantage in the market
Develop a strategic plan for a business using the ten steps in the strategic planning process
Discuss the characteristics of three basic strategies: low-cost, differentiation, and focus
Understand the importance of controls such as the balanced scorecard in the planning process

Module 4: Effective Small Business Management 2

This module builds on the previous module, introducing the concept of the supply chain both as supporting infrastructure for the students company, and also concepts to help the student understand where their products and services fit into their customers supply chain. The module then covers the human capital elements of the supply chain.

Understand the components of a purchasing plan.
Explain the principles of total quality management (TQM) and Six Sigma and their impact on quality.
Conduct economic order quantity (EOQ) analysis to determine the proper level of inventory.
Differentiate among the three types of purchase discounts vendors offer.
Calculate a company’s reorder point.
Develop a vendor rating scale.
Describe the legal implications of the purchasing function.
Explain the challenges involved in the entrepreneur’s role as leader and what it takes to be a successful leader.
Describe the importance of hiring the right employees and how to avoid making hiring mistakes.
Explain how to build the kind of company culture and structure to support the entrepreneur’s mission and goals and to motivate employees to achieve them.
Understand the potential barriers to effective communication and describe how to overcome them.
Discuss the ways in which entrepreneurs can motivate their employees to achieve higher levels of performance.

Module 5: IT Strategy in Action 1

This module introduces information technology (IT) as a value proposition with a focus on actionably developing and delivering the IT Value Proposition. Once established, the concepts of positioning and developing IT strategy for business value are covered.

Identify what IT Value is
Identify where IT Value is
Identify who defines IT Value
Identify when is IT Value realized
Apply industry best practices for understanding IT Value
Apply the three components of the IT Value proposition
Analyze the five principles for delivering IT Value
Define Business and IT Strategies
Apply the four critical business & IT strategy success factors
Define the dimensions of IT Strategy
Address barriers to effective IT Strategy Development

Module 6: IT Strategy in Action 2

This module builds on the prior module, linking IT to business metrics and managing the perceptions of IT. Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

Define IT Metric Goals
Analyze IT Measurement Approaches
Create a Balanced Scorecard that includes strong IT measurements
Apply principles of business strategy to metric measured around IT
Define the factors that affect business perceptions of IT
Define the hierarchy of business IT needs
Create a business-IT view
Apply principles and strategies designed to positively affect the view of IT

Module 7: Marketing Management 1

This module introduces the concept of consumer and business markets, and focuses on having the student analyzing consumer markets and business markets from the perspective of their current company’s product and services offerings. Upon completion of this module, students will be able to answer the following questions:

How do consumer characteristics influence buying behavior?
What major psychological processes influence consumer responses to the marketing program?
How do consumers make purchasing decisions?
How do marketers analyze consumer decision making?
What is the business market, and how does it differ from the consumer market?
What buying situations do organizational buyers face?
Who participates in the business-to-business buying process?

Module 8: Marketing Management 2

This modules builds on the analysis the student did in the prior module concerning their products and services in relation to consumer and business markets, and focuses on identifying Market Segments and Targets in an actionable way. At the completion of this module, the student will be able to answer the following questions:

What are the different levels of market segmentation?
How can a company divide a market into segments?
How should a company choose the most attractive target markets?
What are the requirements for effective segmentation?

Module 9: Financial Management 1

This module introduces the concepts of financial management and provides an overview of the goals of finance, investments, and the concept of the firm as compared to the individual. At the completion of this module, the student will be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of the following:

The Goal of Finance: Relative Valuation
Investments, Projects, and Firms
Firms Versus Individuals

Module 10: Financial Management 2

This module covers capital structures and identifies the common types of capital structures in domestic firms. At the end of this module, the student will be able to:

Measure Leverage
Identify Empirical Capital Structure Patterns
Measure Mechanisms Versus Causes
Identify what are the Underlying Rationales for Capital Structure Changes?
Gain Market Information from Survey Evidence from CFOs

Module 11: Employment Law 1

This module touches on contemporary legal topic of interest to small business owners. It covers wage & hours regulations, occupational safety, and working condition health issues. The employment law modules are a divergence from the standard format, focusing on case study and application of learning to identify risks or opportunities within the students working environment. The student will review the following case studies to understand the fact, issues, court decision, reasoning, and ultimately the implications of the decision to their own working environment:

Wage & Hour Regulations:

Ansoumana v. Gristede’s 255 F.Supp. 2d 184 (S.D. NY 2003)
Andrews v. Town of Skiatook, Oklahoma 123 F.3d 1327 (10th Cir. 1997)
Chao, Sec. Of Labor v. Vidtape 196 F. Supp. 2d 281 (E.D. NY 2002)
Cheatham v. Allstate insurance Co. 465 F.3d 578 (5th Cir.)

Occupational Safety & Health Issues:

Steel Joist Institute v. OSHA 87 F.3D 1165 (D.C. CIR. 2002)
Taylor, Administratrix of Estate of Belford v. Comsat Corp. 2006 U.S. Dist. Lexis 81949 (S.D. WVA)
Tufariello v. Long Island Railroad Company 458 F.3d 80 (2nd Cir. 2006)
Eastern Bridge v. Chao, Sec. Of Labor 320 F.3d 84 (1st Cir. 2003)

Module 12: SMB Consulting Best Practices

This is the final content oriented module of the course. Here students will put to use all the information they have reviewed in prior modules, within the context of their market consulting best practices. The student will review several facets with the ultimate goal of preparation for finalization of their comprehensive plan, to include: