Course Outline

Class: MBA
Course Code:
Instructor: Bilal Karim

Semester:
Course Name: Agri Entrepreneurship
Contact: bilalkarim_@hotmail.com

Course Description:
AgriBusiness Entrepreneurship is the process of bringing a food or rural based product or
idea from conceptualization to market, and entails expertise and decisions in many areas.
This course highlights the conceptualization, development, marketing, and
delivery/selling of a product with added emphasis on problems / constraints that are
prevalent to firms operating in rural / isolated markets. Subject areas to be covered
include: identification of opportunities, information gatheringand processing,
development of a business plan and marketing strategy, organizational plan and legal
concerns, and risk assessment and financial planning. Attention will also be given to the
lackof information and resources available in rural communities and strategies for
overcoming these obstacles.
Course Objective:
Many students returning to rural and/or small agricultural related firms will find difficult
times inthe future as large agricultural companies continue to expand their share of
agriculture markets and global competition becomes more intense. To survive these firms
will have to develop new products and or services that utilize the local resources. The
main objective of this course is to provide the student with an understanding of the
problems and challenges facing an entrepreneur in the process of creating a product /
business. The purpose of this course is to understand the process by which business ideas
are developed and implemented.
Outcomes:

Develop a personal mission statement and personal action plan.

Identify entrepreneurship as a career and lifestyle option.
Identify and assess the overall and target markets.
Identify and assess the financing options for a new venture.

Week

Description

The Foundations of Entrepreneurship

Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind:

From Ideas to Reality

What Is an Entrepreneur?
The Benefits of Entrepreneurship
The Potential Drawbacks of Entrepreneurship
Behind the Boom: Whats Feeding the
Entrepreneurial Fire
The Cultural Diversity of Entrepreneurship
The Power of Small Business
The Ten Deadly Mistakes of Entrepreneurship
Putting Failure into Perspective
How to Avoid the Pitfalls

Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship

CreativityA Necessity for Survival

Creative Thinking
Barriers to Creativity
How to Enhance Creativity
The Creative Process
Techniques for Improving the Creative Process
Intellectual Property: Protecting Your Ideas

Designing a Competitive Business Model and Building a

Solid Strategic Plan
Building a Competitive Advantage
The Strategic Management Process
Case Study (At home with the Clytons, An On farm bed and breakfast Experience)

Conducting a Feasibility Analysis and Crafting a

Winning Business Plan
Conducting a Feasibility Analysis
Why Develop a Business Plan?
The Elements of a Business Plan
What Lenders and Investors Look for in a Business Plan
Making the Business Plan Presentation
Case Study :Padgetts Dairy Goat Farm

Forms of Business Ownership

Franchising and the Entrepreneur

Buying an Existing Business

Building a Powerful Marketing Plan

E-Commerce and the Entrepreneur

The Sole Proprietorship

The Partnership
Corporations
Other Forms of Ownership
Case Study : West Liberty Foods
Types of Franchising
The Benefits of Buying a Franchise
The Drawbacks of Buying a Franchise
Franchising and the Law
The Right Way to Buy a Franchise
Trends Shaping Franchising
Case Study : Papa Genos Herb Farm
Buying an Existing Business
The Steps in Acquiring a Business
Evaluating an Existing BusinessThe Due Diligence Process
Methods for Determining the Value of a Business
Understanding the Sellers Side
Negotiating the Deal
Tarbox Hollow: Ahome on the range.
Building a Guerrilla Marketing Plan
Pinpointing the Target Market
Determining Customer Needs and Wants through
Market Research
Plotting a Guerrilla Marketing Strategy: How to Build a
Competitive Edge
Marketing on the World Wide Web
The Marketing Mix
Benefits of Selling on the Web
Factors to Consider before Launching into E-Commerce
Twelve Myths of E-Commerce
Strategies for E-Success
Designing a Killer Web Site
Tracking Web Results
Ensuring Web Privacy and Security

10

Pricing Strategies

11

Creating a Successful Financial Plan

12

Managing Cash Flow

13

Sources of Financing: Debt and Equity

14

Choosing the Right Location and Layout

15

Global Aspects of Entrepreneurship

16

Building a New Venture Team and Planning for the

Next Generation

Three Potent Forces: Image, Competition, and Value

Pricing Strategies and Tactics
Pricing Strategies and Methods for Retailers
Pricing Concepts for Manufacturers
Pricing Strategies and Methods for Service Firms
The Impact of Credit on Pricing
Basic Financial Statements
Creating Projected Financial Statements
Ratio Analysis
Interpreting Business Ratios
Break-Even Analysis
Cash Management
Cash and Profits Are Not the Same
The Cash Budget
Preparing a Cash Budget
The Big Three of Cash Management
Avoiding the Cash Crunch, Barter
Planning for Capital Needs
Equity Capital versus Debt Capital
Sources of Equity Financing
The Nature of Debt Financing
Federally Sponsored Programs
Small Business Administration
State and Local Loan Development Programs
Internal Methods of Financing
Location: A Source of Competitive Advantage
Location Criteria for Retail and Service Businesses
Location Options for Retail and Service Businesses
The Location Decision for Manufacturers
Layout and Design Considerations
Layout: Maximizing Revenues, Increasing Efficiency, or
Reducing Costs
Why Go Global?
Strategies for Going Global
Barriers to International Trade
International Trade Agreements

Leadership in the New Economy

Building an Entrepreneurial Team: Hiring the Right Employees
Creating an Organizational Culture That Encourages
Employee Retention
Management Succession: Passing the Torch of Leadership
Exit Strategies

Grading Plan:
Class Participation/Attendance
Project
Mid term Examination
Final Examination

04
08
18
30

Recommended Books:
Course Book: Essentials of Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management
6th Edition
Norman M. Scarborough

Reference: Entrepreneurship 6th Edition

Robert Hisrich;
Michael Peters;
Dean Shepherd