Business Studies Notes
Free chapter notes for Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies 0450. Read any chapter online, then practise with the member Workbook and revise with Chapter at a Glance.
Business activity
Covers: Business activity - The purpose and nature of business activity
Classification of businesses
Covers: Classification of businesses - Economic sectors in terms of primary, secondary and tertiary sectors, Classification of businesses - Private sector and public sector
Enterprise, business growth and size
Covers: Enterprise, business growth and size - Enterprise and entrepreneurship, Enterprise, business growth and size - The methods and problems of measuring business size, Enterprise, business growth and size - Why some businesses grow and others remain small, Enterprise, business growth and size - Why some (new or established) businesses fail
Types of business organisation
Covers: Types of business organisation - The main features of different forms of business organisation
Business objectives and stakeholder objectives
Covers: Business objectives and stakeholder objectives - Businesses can have several objectives and the importance of them can change, Business objectives and stakeholder objectives - The role of stakeholder groups involved in business activity, Business objectives and stakeholder objectives - Differences in objectives of private and public sector enterprises
Motivating employees
Covers: Motivating employees - The importance of a well-motivated workforce, Motivating employees - Methods of motivation
Organisation and management
Covers: Organisation and management - Draw, interpret and understand simple organisational charts, Organisation and management - The role of management, Organisation and management - Leadership styles, Organisation and management - Trade unions
Recruitment, selection and training of employees
Covers: Recruitment, selection and training of employees - Recruitment and selecting employees, Recruitment, selection and training of employees - The importance of training and the methods of training, Recruitment, selection and training of employees - Why reducing the size of the workforce might be necessary, Recruitment, selection and training of employees - Legal controls over employment issues and their impact on employers and employees
Internal and external communication
Covers: Internal and external communication - Why effective communication is important and the methods used to achieve it, Internal and external communication - Demonstrate an awareness of communication barriers
Marketing, competition and the customer
Covers: Marketing, competition and the customer - The role of marketing, Marketing, competition and the customer - Market changes, Marketing, competition and the customer - Concepts of niche marketing and mass marketing, Marketing, competition and the customer - How and why market segmentation is undertaken
Market research
Covers: Market research - The role of market research and methods used, Market research - Presentation and use of market research results
Marketing mix
Covers: Marketing mix - Product, Marketing mix - Price, Marketing mix - Place – distribution channels, Marketing mix - Promotion, Marketing mix - Technology and the marketing mix
Marketing strategy
Covers: Marketing strategy - Justify marketing strategies appropriate to a given situation, Marketing strategy - The nature and impact of legal controls related to marketing, Marketing strategy - The opportunities and problems of entering new foreign markets
Production of goods and services
Covers: Production of goods and services - The meaning of production, Production of goods and services - The main methods of production, Production of goods and services - How technology has changed and is changing production methods
Costs, scale of production and break-even analysis
Covers: Costs, scale of production and break-even analysis - Identify and classify costs, Costs, scale of production and break-even analysis - Economies and diseconomies of scale, Costs, scale of production and break-even analysis - Break-even analysis
Achieving quality production
Covers: Achieving quality production - Why quality is important and how quality production might be achieved
Location decisions
Covers: Location decisions - The main factors influencing the location and relocation decisions of a business
Business finance: needs and sources
Covers: Business finance: needs and sources - The need for business finance, Business finance: needs and sources - The main sources of finance
Cash-flow forecasting and working capital
Covers: Cash-flow forecasting and working capital - The importance of cash and of cash-flow forecasting, Cash-flow forecasting and working capital - Working capital
Income statements
Covers: Income statements - What profit is and why it is important, Income statements - Income statements
Statement of financial position
Covers: Statement of financial position - The main elements of a statement of financial position, Statement of financial position - Interpret a simple statement of financial position
Analysis of accounts
Covers: Analysis of accounts - Profitability, Analysis of accounts - Liquidity, Analysis of accounts - How to interpret the financial performance of a business by calculating and analysing profitability ratios and liquidity ratios, Analysis of accounts - Why and how accounts are used
Economic issues
Covers: Economic issues - Business cycle, Economic issues - How government control over the economy affects business activity and how businesses may respond
Environmental and ethical issues
Covers: Environmental and ethical issues - Environmental concerns and ethical issues as both opportunities and constraints for businesses
Business and the international economy
Covers: Business and the international economy - The importance of globalisation, Business and the international economy - Reasons for the importance and growth of multinational companies (MNCs), Business and the international economy - The impact of exchange rate changes