Dr. Herb Kierulff,

Snellman Professor

of Entrepreneurship

BUS 4631 and BUS 4632

Business Planning I and II

Have you ever had a business of your own—any kind of business, from a one person operation to a larger enterprise? Ever worked in a business and dreamed of startingyour own? Entrepreneurs make significant contributions to the well being of others and have a rewarding lifestyle. You may be called to this life, now or in the future.

If so, you’ll want to understand more about entrepreneurship.  And you’ll need to know how to create a business plan. BUS 4631-32 is for you if you’ll be a senior sometime in the next year.  Here’s what this year’s students have said about the course: 

“It has been my best class ever.” 

“Business Planning was one of my favorite classes of college.  I would definitely recommend it to any entrepreneurs or those interested in business.”

 “…is it worth the work that I put in... Oh my. It was worth so much more.  The writing, planning, research, etc.  has really aided me as a student and I feel as though it’s allowed me to push my career forward, also giving me an edge that many of my classmates don’t have – there aren’t many people who can say they’ve written a business plan.”

“Thank you for doing this class. It has been a lot of fun. I never thought I would have been able to do something like that!!!!”

“Having to write a business plan on your own with the help of a professor when needed taught me a lot.”

 You benefit by: 

• Learning how to put a business plan together
• Integrating your learning across business and liberal arts disciplines
• Engaging hands-on in the learning process in a real situation with individualized  help tailored to your needs by the professor and your mentors
• Learning how to critique a business proposal
• Developing a better understanding of entrepreneurial tasks
• Meeting established entrepreneurs and managers
• Improving your presentation skills
• Having a business plan to show to potential employers, something that will distinguish you from other job seekers

If you or a friend or relative has an idea for a business or has an established business with growth potential, you can use this course to develop your business plan.  If not, we will assist in finding a large or small, profit or non-profit organization for you to work with.  At the beginning of each quarter, we will pair you with one or more mentors from the business community who will assist with your plan. 

You may not be interested in pursuing the plan after graduation.  And he plan doesn’t have to turn out to be feasible.  The idea is to learn how to do a plan, and feasibility testing is one reason you do a plan in the first place.

The course is five credits in the Autumn Quarter and an additional two credits in Winter Quarter.  In the Spring Quarter of your senior year, you may wish to enter one or more of the business plan competitions held around the country.  If you like, we will help you. 

The course is flexible.  If you wish, you may form a team of up to four persons to develop your plan. We will meet as a class, on occasion, to interact with guest speakers or hear lectures on entrepreneurship and the practical art of business planning.  You will meet individually with the course professor on a regular basis during class time to review your progress. 

At the end of each quarter you will present the portion of the plan you are working on to the faculty and outside business professionals.  Their job is to give you practical advice, encouragement, and assistance on that portion of your plan.  At the end of the course, awards will be given for the best plans.   

The course instructor is Dr. Herb Kierulff.  Dr. Kierulff spent a number of years in business before returning to the University of Southern California to co-found and direct the Lloyd Grief Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.  He felt a call to come to SPU and has been teaching, consulting, and researching in the field of entrepreneurship since arriving here.  He can be reached at hkierulf@spu.edu or during his office hours. 

If you are interested in this course or have questions please make an appointment or send Dr. Kierulff an email.  Before registering send him an email briefly describing your background—a venture you’d like to explore or actually start (if you’ve made up your mind already), the type of business you’d like to work with, and work experience you’ve had.  This will help in finding mentors and in preparing to help you.  The course is limited in size because of the individual attention involved.