BUS 134
E-Commerce: Entrepreneurship
Course Overview
This course involves the creation of a working online store which you'll design, develop, implement and test. You will utilize writing and presentation skills with items such as business plans, product support and technical documents. Finally, you will also gain real work experiences in e-commerce site design, including working with potential clients, needs analysis, production strategies, evaluating appropriate production and design techniques and meeting deadlines. This is the final (capstone) course required for earning the E-Commerce Certificate of Specialization through the Cuesta College Business Education division.
Instructor: Deborah Bayles
Email: deborah_bayles@cuesta.edu
This is an 9-week course that meets 100% online via the Canvas Learning Management System. Two course modules with their associated reading and homework will be covered each week.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Implement idea generation and perform market research for development of a new online business.
2. Demonstrate ability to prepare pro forma financial statements, marketing strategies, logistics and customer service plans, competitor analysis, manufacturing plans, and other components of a formal business plan.
3. Implement transaction infrastructure for receiving payment from customers.
4. Develop a prototype online test shop using a template-based site or a simple storefront package site, and conduct Alpha and Beta testing to debug the prototype site.
Course Prerequisites
BUS 130: Introduction to E-Commerce, BUS 131: Social Media Marketing, and either BUS 132: E-Commerce: Information Products or BUS 133: E-Commerce: Physical Products are required.
Textbooks
Technical Requirements
I realize this is stating the obvious, but you must have access to a computer, an email account, and a reliable Internet connection. You must have a backup plan should your system or your Internet provider fail, as technological problems not related to me or to Canvas are your problem. It is essential that you understand the basic concepts of email; web navigation; computer security including firewalls, cookies, trusted sites; and online communication to succeed in this course.
It is strongly recommended that you obtain a flash drive to store your work and also investigate another location (e.g. another computer/flash, email) to save an additional copy of your files in case of mishap.
There is a very useful page of information about distance education at Cuesta. You can find it here. In particular, you will want to view the FAQ page which provides some assistance with the technical side of distance ed (for ex. suggested minimum system requirements, how to get technical assistance, etc).
The Nature of the Course
Cuesta's Canvas Site Login Information
Go to the Cuesta Canvas site: https://cuesta.instructure.com and login:
- The Login name matches your my.cuesta login name: firstname_lastname.
- The DefaultCanvas password is: Changeme1. You will be forced to change your password the first time you login.
- If you have any technical problems, please email support@my.cuesta.edu for assistance.
Course Pacing and First Week Requirements
The pacing of the course has been condensed to one-half of a regular semester course. The lectures will become available to you on a regular basis, one module at a time – one module will be released on Tuesday and one on Friday of each week. Depending on the particular section of the course, you will be able to access between one to three week's worth of new information at a time. Previously covered material, of course, will always be available to you. But for your benefit, as well as mine, I want to keep things moving at a manageable pace and keep everyone in the class at approximately the point. So, within each section of material you will be able to set your own pace to a great extent, but the timing of moving from section to section will be set by me. You will need to complete all necessary material by those dates in order to perform adequately in the course.
Please be prepared to spend 8 - 12 hours per week on coursework for this class.
You will be required to log on to the course site several times a week, so do not plan to work on this course only on the weekends.
Once the course begins on the first day of class, log in immediately to the Course Canvas site and post your introduction.
If I do not see your introduction posted and evidence of your having logged on and started downloading and printing out the materials by the third day of the semester, you will be dropped from the course, and your space will be taken by someone else who is waiting to add the class. Also, review all of the materials on the course site and be ready to begin working on the class assignments in Module One.
PLEASE NOTE: Class attendance is determined by on-time participation in Module Discussions. If you do not post before the deadline in a Module (deadlines are clearly stated) or you miss two consecutive Discussions then you will be deemed absent from the class and will be dropped. Please check the site DAILY for news and updates about exams and assignments.
Disabled Students
School Policy
Each student is required to follow all school guidelines and comply with all school deadlines including personal responsibility for adding and/or dropping this class. Each student is responsible for obtaining updates or changes to the syllabus and/or assignments for the course.
If you have any additional questions prior to the first day of class, please feel free to e-mail me. I look forward to working with you!