Diploma in Small Business Management

Purpose

This qualification will enable the qualifying learner to apply the necessary entrepreneurial and business skills and processes in order to start, establish and grow a business. The qualification is specifically designed for new and established small business owners and managers who wish to enhance their management knowledge with the latest thinking in small business management. The qualification equips entrepreneurs with essential business skills and to exploit the unique set of skills, knowledge and ideas to sell products and services.

Rationale

Future economic expansion depends on the continued success of small business owners. One factor found to predict business success has been education and training of the small business owner. Much of that training has come from continuing education programmes. The qualification develops business efforts as well as allows the learner to keep up with today's rapidly changing environment. This qualification is designed to meet the needs of a learner who wants to start and grow a small, medium or micro-enterprise. It is designed to provide the learner with the basics of starting and managing his/her own business. It provides the learner with skills to seize a business opportunity, write a viable business plan and apply selected management principles to implement this plan in a real business environment.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

All admission through RPL must be in accordance with the principles laid down in the institutional RPL Policy.

This qualification can be achieved wholly or in part through Recognition of Prior Learning. However, only 10% of the intake to this qualification may be through RPL.

Learners are required to have the following in place in order to be considered for admission

• National Senior Certificate (NSC) granting access in to Diploma studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational (NCV) granting access in to diploma studies.

Or

• Senior Certificate (SC) with or without endorsement.

The qualification consists of 30 modules at NQF Levels 5, 6 and 7 totalling 360 Credits.

NQF Level 5 modules (10 modules totalling 120 Credits)

• Business Management IA, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Marketing, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Retailing, 12 Credits.
• Fundamentals of Communication, 12 Credits.
• Administrative Management IA, 12 Credits.
• End-user computing Module, 12 Credits.
• Economics IA, 12 Credits.
• Commercial Law IB, 12 Credits.
• Financial accounting, concepts, principles and procedures, 12 Credits.
• Sustainability and Greed, 12 Credits.

NQF Level 6 modules (14 modules totalling 168 Credits)

• Entrepreneurial Skills, 12 Credits.
• Human Resource Management for Entrepreneurs, 12 Credits.
• Business Management IB, 12 Credits.
• Personal Financial Management, 12 Credits.
• Organisational Communication, 12 Credits.
• Marketing Management, 12 Credits.
• Advertising and Sales Promotion, 12 Credits.
• Administrative Management IB, 12 Credits.
• Economics IB, 12 Credits.
• Financial Accounting Reporting, 12 Credits.
• Production and Operations Management, 12 Credits.
• Commercial Law 2A, 12 Credits.
• Financial Management for non-financial managers, 12 Credits.
• E-Commerce in Business, 12 Credits.

NQF Level 7 modules (6 modules totalling 72 Credits)

• Entrepreneurship IIIA, 12 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship IIIB, 12 Credits.
• Entrepreneurial Practice, 12 Credits.
• Marketing Planning, 12 Credits.
• Retail Management, 12 Credits.
• Risk Financing and Short Term Insurance, 12 Credits.

1. Describe and explain the ethical obligations and responsibilities of business.
2. Apply decision-support tools to business decision making.
3. Construct and present effective oral and written forms of professional communication.
4. Create a comprehensive business plan for a small business.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1

• The impact of management and other economic activity on society and the environment is explored.
• The personal, social, cultural values and requirements of those affected by economic activity are reflected upon.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2

• Different solution options are evaluated and recommendations motivated.
• The main and sub-problems of the business are identified and formulated.
• Information to solve a business problem is gathered and applied.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3

• Concepts and theories with the aid of appropriate media are communicated.
• Computer packages are used for communication and information handling.
• Appropriate structure, style and graphical support are used to effectively communicate orally and by other means to the internal and external business clients.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4

• The elements of a business plan are identified and explained.
• An organisation structure for the proposed business to determine how a business plan can best be integrated is compiled.
• Resources and information required to complete the proposed business plan are identified.

Integrated Assessment

Formative assessment

Learning and assessment are integrated. The study guides contain self-assessment tasks with feedback. The scheme of work includes a combination of written and multiple choice assignments based on the learning material which learners have to submit and for which they earn year marks. Learners are given feedback in the form of written comments in the assignments and suggested solutions and mark plans presented in a formal tutorial letter. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work and a limited number of outcomes.

Summative assessment

Examinations of a representative selection of outcomes practiced and assessed in the formative stage. Summative assessment also tests the learner's ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcome.