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Biz/ed's Leading Lights

Government Support for Entrepreneurs

Lesson Outline

I created a 'marketplace' lesson to teach this topic. The PowerPoint outlines the structure and timings of the lesson and the word documents attached are the support material (theory and a test).

I split the class into 3 groups and gave them each some text (one box from the Government Support Theory Word document). In the first part of the lesson called 'conversion', teams had to summarise the information onto sugar paper using as few words as possible and incorporating diagrams etc.

In the next part of the lesson (detailed on the PowerPoint), one team member stays with their sugar paper (the teacher removes the original notes at this point) to teach it to researchers from other groups. This section lasts for about 10 minutes and should ensure that members from a group visit all the other groups to find out what information they learnt.

The next part of the lesson is a peer teaching section where original groups re-formed and taught what they had learned to each other, especially to the 'teacher' who had remained in the same place.

The final part of the lesson was a short fact-based test which tested knowledge from all 3 groups (see test in Word). The winning team should be the group with the highest average score. This incentivises teams to ensure everyone has a good grasp of all the theory.

Theory

Why encourage enterprise?

The Government believes that encouraging enterprise will lead to the following benefits:

  • Greater competition
  • Greater efficiency
  • Greater output
  • Greater choice and value for consumers

The key government body

BERR Dept for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has an Enterprise Directorate that focuses on encouraging small businesses.

What is an SME?

An SME is a small to medium sized enterprise and is a commonly used phrase for small businesses.

Who can help SMEs?

  • Regional Economic Development Agencies
  • Economic Development Units
  • Business Link
  • The Prince's Trust

What policies can help to encourage enterprise?

Reduce corporation tax. Corporation tax is a tax on profits. This tax was reduced from 30% to 28% in 2008

Reduce regulatory burden on new businesses

Reduce barriers to raising finance i.e. make it easier to get loans

Legislation to promote competition

Test

  1. State three benefits of enterprise (3)
  2. What is the name of the government department responsible for encouraging enterprise? (1)
  3. What does SME stand for? (1)
  4. State two bodies that can help SMEs (2)
  5. What is corporation tax? (1)
  6. Apart from reducing corporation tax, what two other policies can help to encourage SME start-ups? (2)

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Presentation (127K)

Resources created by Caroline Creaby, October 2008.