Assignment Brief

RQF Unit 9 Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management

Unit level 5

Unit code T/508/0495

Term Start Date 11th September 2017

Hand out date 11th September 2017

Submission Deadlines 18th February 2018

Lectures & Formative 20 Weeks

Assessments

Guided learning hours 60

Module Leader Dalton Vincent

pg. 1 Sept 2017

 Assignment title Understanding entrepreneurship

Word count 3000 words approximately

Assignment Summary:
When completing the tasks provided please ensure you directly address each assessment criterion paying
particular attention to the command verb requirements. For ease of reference relevant command verbs
have been underlined.

Scenario:
You are a senior member of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and you have been asked by your
peers to consider ways in which the FSB could positively promote entrepreneurship in the local area.
As a result you have been asked to create a report aimed at encouraging and supporting potential
entrepreneurs to start a new business.

The overall aim of the report is to explore the range of business ventures available to entrepreneurs,
assess the impact small businesses have on the economy, assess the ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ and
examine different environments that foster and hinder entrepreneurship.

Part 1

Evidence: Written Report

Pass: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: P1, P2, P3 and P4.
Your report should include the following:
P1: Provide an introduction to the report by examining different types of entrepreneurial ventures and
explaining how they relate to the typology (different types) of entrepreneurship. Your introduction
should aim to define entrepreneurship and explore entrepreneurship scope and typology.

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 P2: Building on the different types of entrepreneurial ventures explored in P1, you are now required to
explore the similarities and differences between each. You could consider the roles, characteristics and
objectives of different types of ventures: private; public; social enterprises - as well as different sized
ventures: micro; small; medium.

P3: Present, interpret and assess relevant data and statistic to illustrate the impact micro and small
business have on the economy. You should consider local, regional, national and international
economic impacts.

P4: Building on the information you provided for P3, you must explain the importance that small
businesses and business start-ups on the growth of the social economy.

Merit: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: M1 and M2.
M1: To achieve M1 you are required to develop your response to P1 and P2 by investigating a diverse
range of entrepreneurial ventures to demonstrate an understanding of entrepreneurship in both public
and private sector.
M2: To achieve M2 you are required to develop your response to P3 and P4 by evaluating the
differences that small, medium and large businesses make to the economy, applying relevant data and
statistics.

Distinction: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve D1 and D2.
D1: To achieve D1 you are required to develop your response to all aspects of task 1 by critically
examining the scope, development and growth of entrepreneurship ventures.
D2: To achieve D2 you are required to develop your response to all aspects of task 1 by critically
examining how small businesses have an impact on different levels of the economy in a local, regional,
national and international context.

Submission Date: 18th November (Formative Assessment)

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 Part 2
For this part of the assignment you are encouraged to attend The Business Show 2017 which will be
held at Olympia Exhibition Centre on the 16th and 17th November 2017. You will have the opportunity
to meet, listen and speak to many high profile entrepreneurs and business leaders. This exhibition give
you an insight into different type’s personalities and traits and ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ of successful
business men and women. You will also learn about their background and upbringing and how it
influences their creativity.

Evidence: Written Report

Pass: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: P5, P6 and P7.
Your report should include the following:
P5: Determine what makes a successful entrepreneur. You could consider examples of successful
entrepreneurs and determine the characteristic traits and skills they possess. Similarly, you could
explore whether entrepreneurs are born or made and whether entrepreneurship skills can be learned
over time.

P6: Assess how aspects of the entrepreneurial personality reflect entrepreneurial motivation and
mindset. You may wish to consider how personality is shaped by family upbringing, lifestyle, cultural
differences and personal motivation and drivers amongst other factors.

P7: Examine, using relevant examples, how a person’s background and past experiences can hinder or
foster entrepreneurship. Factors to consider may include level and type of education, national culture,
economic circumstances and character traits. The risks and rewards of starting a business should also
be considered.

Merit: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve: M3 and M4.
M3: To achieve M3 you are required to develop your response to P5 and P6 by exploring and
examining different lines of argument relating to entrepreneurial characteristics.
M4: To achieve M4 you are required to develop your response to P7 by analysing the link between
entrepreneurial characteristics and the influences of personal background and experience to specific
successful entrepreneurs.

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 Distinction: This task provides you with the opportunity to achieve D3 and D4.
D3: To achieve D3 you are required to develop your response to all aspects of task 2 by analysing the
characteristic traits, skills and motivational drivers of successful entrepreneurs, supported by specific
examples.
D4: To achieve D4 you are required to develop your response to all aspects of task 2 by critically
evaluating how background and experiences influences entrepreneurs, both positively and negatively,
by comparing and contrasting examples.

Submitting your assignment

Summative deadline - 18/02/2018
You will combine Parts 1 and 2 of the assignment and submit the full assignment for summative
assessment before midnight on the submission date. The assignment should be in a word document
and preferably using Arial font size 12 and 1.5 spacing. Your assignment should be uploaded on the
Turnitin Assignment submission section. It is advisable to use the Turnitin Plagiarism checker before
uploading the final piece of work.
Good luck

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Glossary of commonly used academic words

Account for Give reasons for: explain why something happens.

Analyse Examine something in very close detail and from a number of

angles. Identify the important points and chief features, and
understand their relationships.

Argue Present a case for and against a proposal or statement and present
your own opinion at the end.

Compare Show how two or more things are similar.

Contrast Look at two or more things and draw out differences. State
whether the differences are significant.

Critically evaluate Weigh arguments for and against something, assess the strength of
evidence on both sides.

Define Give the exact meaning of.

Describe Give a detailed account of the main features or characteristics ...

Discuss Write about the most important characteristics of something. Give

arguments for and against, look at it from a variety of
perspectives.

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 Distinguish Identify the differences between two items.

Evaluate Assess the worth or usefulness of something. Use evidence to

support your opinion.

Examine Look at something in detail. You may be expected to 'critically

evaluate' it as well.

Explain Make it clear why something happens or why it is the way it is.

Identify Recognise name and briefly describe something.

Illustrate Use examples to further explain or justify something. Could be

visual or verbal.

Interpret Explain the meaning or significance of information or data that

you are presenting.

Justify Provide evidence that supports an argument or idea.

Outline Give only the main points, show only the main structure.

Prove Present evidence in a logical structure to support an argument for

a point of view.

Relate (Two
1. Show how ideas / theories/ events etc are linked or connected.
meanings)

pg. 7 Sept 2017

 2. Tell a story. Explain something in a narrative fashion.

Review Survey and comment on the key aspects of something or a range of

things.

State Give the main features clearly and simply.

Summarise Draw out the main points, omitting detail and examples.

To what extent… How far is something true, or contributes to a final outcome. Also
how far is it not true? In academic writing the answer is usually
somewhere in the middle.

Trace Describe the development of something; follow the order of

different stages in an event or process.

Adapted from Cottrell.S.(2003) The Study Skills Handbook. Basingstoke. Palgrave.

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