Edexcel GCSE Business revision

Topic 1.1: Enterprise and entrepreneurship

There are 3 parts: we start with enterprise and entrepreneurship, and finish with risk and reward, and why businesses succeed or fail.

1. 1.1.1Enterprise and entrepreneurship: what entrepreneurs do, their characteristics and motivations31 questions
2. 1.1.2Adding value, unique selling points and competitive advantage33 questions
3. 1.1.3Risk and reward, and why businesses succeed or fail36 questions

Topic 1.2: Spotting a business opportunity

There are 4 parts: we start with spotting a business opportunity, and finish with the competitive environment.

1. 1.2.1Spotting a business opportunity: customer needs, market research for new ideas and market mapping41 questions
2. 1.2.2Market segmentation, targeting and positioning, and setting marketing objectivesFree 42 questions
3. 1.2.3Interpreting market data: market size, share and growth calculations, sampling, and reading charts and graphs60 questions
4. 1.2.4The competitive environment: competitors, market structure, price and non-price competition, and responding to competition37 questions

Topic 1.3: Putting a business idea into practice

There are 5 parts: we start with business purpose, ownership and aims, and finish with sources of finance.

1. 1.3.1Business purpose, ownership and aimsFree 19 questions
2. 1.3.2Revenue, costs and profit: fixed, variable and total costs, and calculating profit and lossFree 55 questions
3. 1.3.3Break-even analysis: calculating break-even output, drawing break-even charts, margin of safety and its limitations58 questions
4. 1.3.4Cash flow forecasts: constructing and interpreting them, cash vs profit, and ways to improve cash flow50 questions
5. 1.3.5Sources of finance: internal vs external, short- vs long-term, and choosing suitable finance85 questions

Topic 1.4: Making the business effective

There are 3 parts: we start with business plans, and finish with marketing and finance.

1. 1.4.1Business plans: purpose, content and sources of support for start-ups33 questions
2. 1.4.2Business location, the sales process and customer service57 questions
3. 1.4.3Marketing and finance41 questions

Topic 1.5: Understanding external influences on business

There are 6 parts: we start with stakeholders, and finish with external influences on business.

1. 1.5.1Stakeholders: roles, interests, conflicts and the impact of business decisions on them49 questions
2. 1.5.2Technology: e-commerce, social media, digital communication and technology in productionFree 57 questions
3. 1.5.3Legislation: consumer, employment, health and safety, equality and competition law36 questions
4. 1.5.4The economic climate: consumer income, unemployment, inflation, taxation and the economic cycle40 questions
5. 1.5.5Interest rates and exchange rates: effects on costs, demand, importers and exporters59 questions
6. 1.5.6External influences on business19 questions

Topic 2.1: Growing the business

There are 4 parts: we start with methods of growth, and finish with ethical and environmental considerations.

1. 2.1.1Methods of growth: organic growth, mergers, takeovers and franchisingFree 40 questions
2. 2.1.2Growth in practice: economies and diseconomies of scale, problems of growth, and changing aims and ownership34 questions
3. 2.1.3Globalisation, imports and exports, and multinational businesses: opportunities, threats and trading blocs79 questions
4. 2.1.4Ethical and environmental considerations: sustainability, pressure groups and the trade-off between profit and responsible behaviour40 questions

Topic 2.2: Making marketing decisions

There are 3 parts: we start with product, and finish with promotion and place.

1. 2.2.1Product: design mix, the product life cycle, extension strategies, branding and product portfolio decisions27 questions
2. 2.2.2Price: pricing strategies (penetration, skimming, cost-plus, competitor-based, psychological, promotional) and how they are chosen35 questions
3. 2.2.3Promotion and place: promotional methods, distribution channels and building an integrated marketing mix47 questions

Topic 2.3: Making operational decisions

There are 6 parts: we start with operations and human resources, and finish with quality management.

1. 2.3.1Operations and human resourcesFree 47 questions
2. 2.3.2Production processes: job, batch and flow production, labour- vs capital-intensive methodsFree 57 questions
3. 2.3.3Productivity and efficiency: calculating productivity and the impact of technology on output71 questions
4. 2.3.4Stock control and lean production: buffer stock, just-in-time and reading stock-control graphs59 questions
5. 2.3.5Supply chains, procurement and managing supplier relationships69 questions
6. 2.3.6Quality management: quality control vs quality assurance, the cost of poor quality and its effect on reputation61 questions

Topic 2.4: Making financial decisions

There are 2 parts: we start with income statements and profitability, and finish with investment appraisal and return on capital.

1. 2.4.1Income statements and profitability: gross profit, net profit and margin calculations, and ways to improve profit39 questions
2. 2.4.2Investment appraisal and return on capital: average rate of return and ROCE71 questions

Topic 2.5: Making human resource decisions

There are 5 parts: we start with organisational structures, and finish with employment patterns and flexible working.

1. 2.5.1Organisational structures: hierarchy, spans of control, delegation, centralisation, and flat vs tall structuresFree 47 questions
2. 2.5.2Recruitment and selection: job descriptions, person specifications, internal vs external methods and selection techniques32 questions
3. 2.5.3Training, development and staff retention: induction, on-the-job and off-the-job training, and appraisal37 questions
4. 2.5.4Motivation: financial methods (pay, bonuses, commission) and non-financial methods (job enrichment, flexible hours, recognition)39 questions
5. 2.5.5Employment patterns and flexible working: full-time, part-time, temporary, zero-hours and remote working, plus employer–employee relations41 questions

Topic I: Interdependence and exam skills

We will go through it step by step.

1. I.1Interdependence of business functions: how operations, HR, marketing and finance decisions affect one another, plus case-study and exam skills44 questions

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