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To enroll onto the level 4 course, you must be at least 16+. Before enrolling onto the level 5 course, you must have attained a level 4 or equivalent.

The business environment

What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘environment’? You probably think of surroundings, and the conditions and influences of the surroundings. Similarly, the business environment refers to an organization’s surroundings – its external surroundings, as well as its internal surroundings.

Customers and customer service

This module starts by looking at customers and how they make decisions about their purchases.What factors do they think about when buying a chocolate bar,vegetables, a book, a refrigerator or a house? How do businesses decide which company to use when buying a new computer system?Before you can start to market to people you must have some clear ideas about how they think, and understand the attributes and benefits that they are looking for.

Marketing mix
In marketing, a company is faced with two kinds of variables. First, there are the variables associated with the external environment; the environment surrounding the organization, made up of the macro-environment (the broad environment consisting of political, economic, socio-cultural,technological dimensions) and the micro-environment (the competitive structure of the industry in which the company operates). A company has no direct control of these external variables. The second set of variables contains operational variables; factors over which a company has full control.

Marketing and sales planning
Marketing and sales are fundamental to business,whatever the sector. In the private sector, it is accepted that marketing and sales planning is essential to achieve profitability and market success.In the public sector and in the charitable sector, the focus is not on profit making but on customer(or more broadly, stakeholder) satisfaction. Marketing is increasingly playing a key role in the non-profit sector to build awareness of issues and promote causes, taking the perspective of not just customers (recipients) but also donors.

IT in business
There is clear evidence that Information Technology provides competitive advantage, whatever the business sphere an organisation operates it.
To gain advantage, managers must know how IT can be used in internal and external processes to deliver better value to the end customer.

Managing and using marketing
This module will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to marketing. It is intended to be relevant to the management and operation of organisations in many different areas of the economy,including those which do not operate for profit.

Customers and their needs
The aim of modern marketing is to identify and then satisfy each customer’s needs and wants. This is often done by building relationships with customers and using these relationships to create a two-way communication between the two parties. The customer communicates his or her preferences,and the business communicates information about products that will satisfy the customer’s needs and wishes.

E-marketing communications
The success of the World Wide Web and the proliferation of the Internet and associated technologies have revolutionised the way organisations conduct their business. The most apparent change has been the support provided through technology to a number of traditional operations,such as sales, communications, customer services and marketing.

High performance sales
An organisation’s success depends on a number of factors including its operations, its marketing strategy, its human resource management and its sales. One of the most common criteria used for assessing the organisation’s success is sales growth. This is an indication that the organisation manages to maintain its existing customers but also attract interest followed by sales from new markets.

Marketing strategy
How then do organizations develop strategies in a complex marketing environment? How do they assess opportunities and threats? Which markets and segments do they target and why? Which market positions play to an organization’s strengths? What product portfolio should be maintained for long-term value? These are some of the questions we shall address.

The entrepreneurial manager
What is an entrepreneur? Examine the skills and qualities of entrepreneurship.

Organisation structures
Why are organisations structured in the way they are? What determines the optimum structure and how does it differ between organisations? In this module, learners will look at the numerous models and theories that make up organisational structure.

Practical accounting analysis
Learners will complete exercises in accounts throughout this module to understand what they are telling us and the actions that analysis can precipitate.

Business planning and goal setting
What is the business trying to achieve? What will it do? How will it do it? This module focuses on the creation of clear goals and clear plans to achieve a clear objective.

Politics and business
Impact of politics on business and how it may help or hinder business. This module will educate learners on economic impact, exports and government support.

Business law
Explore the statutory responsibilities of managers as learners look into the legalities of business and business executives.

Managing in today’s world
Business in the modern world. This module focuses on governance and equality as a means to do right in business.

Performance management
Understanding how your people and your business can continually improve together, learners will review reward structures, CPD, training and development to ensure high performance in business.

Marketing and sales planning
Learners will analyse how markets, customers, competitors and products can come together in a cohesive plan.

Quantitative skills
On successful completion of this module, learners will have knowledge of numeric exercises and will understand their use within the context of the business.