Level 3 Business & Enterprise (L3ENT)
Overview
The Business & Enterprise course will enable students to be involved in an experiential business programme, working through the process of setting up and running a business, for real. Students will invest real money, produce real products and keep real profits. Students will participate in the 2025 Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).
What will I learn?
To run an innovative and sustainable business: Plan, produce, market and sell a product/service in groups taking on actual roles in a company.
To create a marketing plan: Evaluate a market situation by creating a marketing strategy and writing a thorough marketing plan.
Young Enterprise Competition
In addition to gaining Level 3 NZQA qualifications, Young Enterprise companies are competing against all other companies for a place at the prestigious Young Enterprise Trust National Awards. The top regional company will represent Southland at these National Awards by completing 5 challenges:
Challenge 1 - Product Validation
Challenge 2 - Business Pitch
Challenge 3 - Promotion activities
Challenge 4 - Sales Activities
Challenge 5 - Annual Review
Young Enterprise Activities:
Company Set-up
Market Research
Product Launch
Business Planning Presentations
Trade Fair Style Event
Production of Product or Service
Selling and Marketing Activities
Winding Up Activities
Individual reflection and evaluation of your business activity against goals established in Term 1.
This Business & Enterprise course will require work outside of the school grounds and to be successful work will be required out of normal school hours. During class time students must have teacher permission to leave the classroom and must sign out at the office. Failure to do so will result in privileges being withdrawn.
This course is structured so students can set up and operate their business in small groups and therefore requires each individual to fully participate in order for the team to be ultimately successful. As this course is a structured team learning environment, all students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and therefore make a positive contribution to their team’s success. This means individuals fully participating, attending classes and displaying commitment. Individual students can expect to face consequences and withdrawal from the course if their attitude, participation and /or behaviour affects the other members of their company.
What should I have done already?
The Level 3 Business and Enterprise course is appropriate for all students who have gained NCEA Level Two, with preferential entry going to students who have completed Economics and/or Business at Levels 1 or 2 and Agribusiness at Level 2. This is not a textbook course. Therefore you must have previously proven that you can work well in a team environment and have shown you are able to work independently to meet deadlines, as this course involves limited supervision by the teacher. You will be solely responsible for the strategic management of your business. The teacher acts only as a facilitator.
You must commit to your business and team of directors for the entire academic year, therefore attendance rates from previous year may impact your suitability for this course .
Assessment outline
This course contributes to NCEA Level Three and is a University Approved subject. However, if this course is taken in conjunction with L3 AgriBusiness then both subjects are considered as only ONE University Entrance subject, as the standards are all from the Business domain. Both subjects would however count towards NCEA Level Three.
Approval is needed from the HOLA of Social Sciences in order for both subjects to be taken together.
Assessment regulations
The internal achievement standards will be assessed after the appropriate topics have been taught. There will be no reassessment opportunity for these standards. You will only be given the opportunity to improve on your efforts if you get small things wrong that you can be fixed with no further teaching or learning occurring (resubmission) that will bring your grade from a Not Achieved to Achieved. Because there is no reassessment, if you do not submit the assessment on the due date you have failed the standards.
The externally assessed achievement standards will be formatively assessed using tests and exams during the year. The results from these assessments will count towards class placings and any derived grade applications if you are unable to sit final examinations.
It is vital that you read and understand the rules relating to NCEA in the section on NZQA Information.
Where does this course lead?
This subject leads directly to tertiary courses. It is also an extremely valuable foundation for any career in commerce, trades or politics.
Indicative costs
For all normal indicative course costs please see the Course Costs Page.
Three trips to Invercargill to participate in YES events will be required throughout the year.
In addition, all students will be required to contribute to the start-up capital of their company as agreed by the directors of each YES company. Selling of shares, loan application and fundraising activities may also be part of the capital formation for each YES company. Almost all YES companies make a profit, some make exceptional profits. All companies are required to pay company tax at 25% before profits can be distributed. Profit distribution is agreed during the establishment phase of the business. This is usually based on relative shareholding, unless another profit distribution plan was made, discussed with the classroom teacher and agreed upon by all directors. Students will reap the rewards of running a successful company.