Student Projects

Business 54: Small Business Startup and Management:
A class where aspiring entrepreneurs can find their way!

In Business 54, (the traditional section), students write and present Business Plans for startup ventures that include the following sections:

• An Executive Summary
• A Vision and Mission Statement
• A Marketing Plan
• A Management Plan
• An Operations Plan
• A Finance Plan

Throughout the semester, students are given ongoing guidance regarding the substance and format of their Business Plans. Since Business Plans are working documents, students revisit their writing often (even after the semester ends) and make changes as needed.

This course also features a trip to the Entrepreneur Center www.ecenteronline.org in downtown San Jose. Guest presentations include representatives from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) www.score.org, the SBA (Small Business Administration) www.sba.gov, the CITD (Center for International Trade Development) www.svcitd.org, and more!

Our talented students write Business Plans that pertain to the passions they want to pursue in the business world. Some of their pursuits include:

• Interior Design businesses
• Real Estate businesses
• Accounting - tax and bookkeeping businesses
• Clothing lines/Boutiques
• Crafts: jewelry design, stained glass, floral design and more!
• Salons - for hair and skin care
• Fitness centers
• Restaurants

For more information, please contact:
Heidi Diamond
heidi_diamond@westvalley.edu

Business 56: Marketing Principles A class where aspiring marketers learn how to manage the 4 P's, (product, place, promotion, price) to create successful product portfolios!

This class features a team project in which students do demographic analyses of the product/service target markets that they are trying to capture. Student teams develop comprehensive Marketing Plans that follow current industry and government guidelines. Their Marketing Plans include:

• A description of the products/services
• A description of the target markets
• A description of the competitors
• A marketing budget
• Possible sales locations
• A pricing strategy

Some students who complete Marketing Plans share them with their prospective employers when they are seeking marketing positions.

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