Business Essentials provides an overview of business management today, including forms of ownership and the ways managers carry out their basic management functions in a skillful and inventive way. Subjects covered include, setting up a business in Canada, history of business in Canada, types of business organizations, managing the business enterprise, setting business goals, formulating strategy, management process, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, types and areas of managers, management skills, motivating and leading employees, job satisfaction, motivation, data communication networks, transaction processing systems, and management information systems.
 

This course will cover the major economic variables affecting a business including interest rates, GDP growth, and forces of supply and demand are examined.

Students will learn how the following economic factors are applied in today’s businesses in guiding the planning and decision making processes: demand, supply, price determination, and regulation, production costs, scarcity, and opportunity cost; firm’s short-run costs; economies of scale; and long-run costs, market structure, perfect competition, and monopoly, gross domestic product, determination of GDP; unemployment; economic growth; and inflation, aggregate demand, aggregate supply, and equilibrium GDP, consumption and savings decisions, equilibrium expenditure; fiscal policy multipliers, and the price level, money creation/influence on money supply, role of the Bank of Canada, interest rates, and aggregate expenditure, business cycle and inflation, unemployment and the business cycle; effects of inflation, and balance of payments, international trade, and foreign exchanges.
 

Management of the financial transactions of a business firm are absolutely critical to its survival. This introduction to finance will examine financial statements, profit planning, budgeting, the cost of capital, and forms of financing. Other topics covered include: analysing changes in financial statements, interpreting financial statements through ratio analysis, profit planning and decision making, cost of capital, management of capital structure, and the time value of money, capital investment decisions, budgeting and planning, sources and forms of financing, working capital management, and business valuation.
 

Students are provided an introduction to marketing practices focusing on problem definition and solution. Topics will include marketing concepts, marketing strategies, and buyer behaviour. The product promotion, distribution, pricing and public relations model are emphasized.
 

An introduction to Canadian business law is provided by using the case study approach that leads to a grasp of the key elements. The emphasis is on the application of the law to practical business situations. Topics covered include: the Canadian legal system, torts affecting property and persons, unintentional negligence, formation of contracts, factors affecting the contractual relationship, the end of the contractual relationship, sales and consumer protection, priority of creditors, and intellectual property.

A business plan is critical to a new business venture. Students will examine the step-by-step process of logical analysis of every aspect of the proposed business, and develop strategies to combat the principal risks that will face the business owner-manager. Learn the components of the business plan: Table of contents, Executive summary, Management team, Establish business objectives, Marketing approach, Selection of the location, Determine the physical facilities, Plan the financing, Plan the personnel, Investigate the legal requirements as well as planning and managing growth and managing the transfer of the business.

This course investigates the dynamics of human behavior within the context of organizations. Three levels of analysis are focused upon: individual, group and organization. The goal is to develop analytical skill to decrease the number of unintended consequences occurring because of the interface between human nature and organization rules and structures.

This course provides an introduction to the types of Information systems used by supply chain professionals in the course of daily business. The course examines the types of systems used for planning and execution functions in supply chain, including enterprise resource planning systems, and best-in-breed logistics systems for transportation, warehouse, and customer relationship management.

Negotiations and supplier management are an integral part of conducting business globally. It is essential to understand the negotiation process, how to become an effective negotiator and the roles within a negotiation. The course will cover styles of negotiations, sources of power, use of emotion, and logic.

This course will provide an overview of what constitutes a project, some of the more useful tools, and a methodology for success. The focus will be on visioning, building a high performance team, communication and change management requirements.

This course provides an introduction to the purposes and types of packaging and equipment used to protect and convey goods through the supply chain. The course examines the basic uses, legal requirements, benefits and drawbacks of different options available to help students make better decisions to maximize asset protection and mobility while minimizing cost

This course will introduce Purchasing as a business discipline with a focus on the Total Cost of Ownership for products and services, and Supplier Relationship Management. Topics include the Purchasing Cycle, Centralized vs. Decentralized purchasing, the preparation of documents for RFI and RFP processes, as well as the various costs involved in purchase decisions (acquisition, ownership, obsolescence, etc.). Students will develop an understanding of supply management and commodity strategy, supplier qualification, selection and management, and strategic cost management.

This course will provide students with a fundamental understanding of the nature of contracts. Profitability of a joint business venture is based upon strategic partnerships with key suppliers to shorten lead times and reduce bottlenecks within the supply chain. Focus will be on what constitutes a contract, types of supplier relationships, and why partnerships fail.

This course will provide a broad introduction to the basics of demand planning, forecasting and inventory management and will prepare the student for a better understanding of the flow of information and materials in a supply chain.

This course will provide a broad introduction to the basics of materials management, manufacturing planning and control systems, inventory control, physical distribution and information flow among operational functions within the supply chain. It builds understanding of the tactical approach to inventory control that flows from the strategic approach in demand planning and inventory management.

This course offers an overview of administering importation and exportation of goods in Canada. Basic practices for successfully understanding key legislation and regulatory compliance, plus preparing various trade documents are covered.

This course provides an introduction to the purposes and types of packaging and equipment used to protect and convey goods through the supply chain. The course examines the basic uses, legal requirements, benefits and drawbacks of different options available to help students make better decisions to maximize asset protection and mobility while minimizing cost.

This course provides an introduction to warehousing and distribution management. Inventory is the heart of logistics and distribution planning can create additional value for customers, or excessive costs. The course examines the functions and purposes of warehousing and how to ensure it meets the requirements of the supply chain.

This course provides an overview of the value, methods and trade-offs of the transportation function within a supply chain. It then focuses on understanding the role of the freight forwarder, transportation geography, and how terms of trade are used between buyer and seller in a contract of sales of goods with a focus on international trade. This will include international payments, commercial documentation, cargo security and dangerous goods, plus insurance.

This course provides an overview of a supply chain from raw materials to consumer purchase. The course examines the roles of members in the supply chain and ways to improve efficiency as well as how to identify and mitigate risk in the SC. The course also helps students understand how supply chain management has matured from a business cost centre to a strategic initiative.

This field placement will prepare students for their transition to the workforce. The practicum will be completed in a supply chain environment working under the supervision of experienced personnel. Students are provided with a description of duties he/she will perform on the job. At the end of the placement, the practicum host will provide an evaluation on the student and the student will provide the college with an evaluation on the placement.
 
 

This course builds on the skills learned in the Student Success Strategies course or its equivalent. It provides information on how to use the communication skills learned in order to make a successful presentation to a prospective employer. Students also learn how to uncover the hidden job market and identifyemployment opportunities. Self-assessment during this course allows students to identify their personal skills that are transferable to the work place and to describe these skills to a prospective employer. Students may be videotaped during a mock interview and will participate in the analysis of their performance in the “interview”.