ENSC201 COURSE OUTLINE - FALL 2007

Course presented by:

Teaching Assistant:  tba

Goals:

To introduce some basic business & management concepts, especially relating to the management of advanced technology enterprises in Canada. Most importantly, you'll understand the difference between having a career and creating wealth. We'll start with "the better mousetrap" and how to build a business. To have fun and learn something, too.

Lectures:

Wednesdays, 14:30 to 17:20, K9500

On-Line Delivery:

This course is administered on-line via http://www.sfu.ca/~mvolker/ensc201

Grading:

a)Assignments and Quizzes: 7 weekly assignments and/or quizzes: 35%(5% each)
b)Team Project: 40% (see Team Project info)
c)Tests: 25% (2 short tests during term)

Please refer to "Tips & Suggestions" for more details.
(bonus points will also be offered for special projects, events, (e.g. Vancouver Enterprise Forum, etc)

Texts:

(see also reference text list and links to other sites.)

• Globe & Mail Report on Business (compulsory -selected readings)
• BC Technology's T-Net (read Holliday and Volker columns)
• Financial Post
• Mike's Clipping Service (& WEB Sites)
• Business in Vancouver
• BC Business Magazine
• Business Week, Inc, Canadian Business, Fin.Post, Red Herring
   

  Note: Globe & Mail offers special deal for students - check price - delivered to your door. Call 1-800-387-5400 to subscribe.

Possible Guest Speakers (sampling):

• Roy Trivett, Visiphor Corp
• Tim Collings, V-Chip
• Ralph Turfus, Angel Investor
• Basil Peters, Entrepreneur/Investor
• Judy Bishop, Bishop and Company
• Mike Boeur, T-Net
• Iain Black, Entrepreneur and politician
• Barry Jinks, Colligo
• Ross Mitchell, Broadcom (HotHaus Technologies)
• Michael Brown, V.C./Angel
• Greg Aasen, PMC Sierra
• Fred Ghahramani, AirG Wireless
• Brent Holliday, Greenstone Ventures
• Jack Grushcow, Software Guy turned Biotech guy
• Anyone else you'd like to suggest?

Videos (sampling):

• Clips from Manning Innovation Awards
• The Corporation
• The Xerox Story
• Triumph of the Nerds, PBS Video on emergence of the PC industry
• Nerds II - the Internet
• Tom Peters' "In Search of Excellence"
• Danny DeVito in "Other People's Money"

Some Lecture Topics:

• The Fun of Business
• The Primary Risk Factor
• The E-Myth
• Business Jargon, Terminology
• Marketing: 4P's, Product Life Cycles, Competitive strategy
• Technology S-curves
• Intellectual Property Management (patents, trademarks, etc)
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Business Structures - Corporation vs Proprietorship (or Partnership)
• Business infrastructure - Canada & Global
• Management "fads": what's in and what's out
• Financing Technology Ventures, Capital Markets
• The Business Plan
• Personal Finance Topics
• Taxation
• Time Value of Money - discounting cash flows
• you choose some!

Modus Operandus:

Call or email anytime (email preferred). Office hours - by appointment only.

This is your course. You are the client! Our mutual objectives should be to obtain maximum value from this opportunity! 

Copyright 2007, Michael C Volker
Updated: 4Sep2007