Get the skills to boost your business

Complete a Certificate IV in Small Business Management with the Insight Foundation and you will get the skills to masterfully and professionally develop and expand your own business or manage an existing business/department.

This qualification helps you to:

• develop and implement business plans

• set-up, operate and manage a small business

• manage an existing small businesses or department in a larger organisation

• manage and lead people/teams

• manage risks, legalities and budgets

• develop successful marketing strategies

• develop and implement environmentally sustainable work practices.

Unique and flexible training with the Insight Foundation

The Insight Foundation trains lecturers/facilitators in a unique way.

• We have virtual classrooms so you can study online at a time convenient for you.

• Classes are recorded so you can listen to them as many times as you like.

• Students have access to an online community-based forum so you can share information and resources.

• All Insight Foundation courses include a mentoring and coaching component - this means that a mentor/coach supports you to get your qualification, gain confidence, skills and expertise and to be the best trainer you can be.

There are 10 units of competency covered in three main areas of small business skills:

1. Business development:

Undertake Small Business Planning

• Business plan for achieving business goals and objectives
• Vital framework to bring ‘ideas’ to fruition.

Plan small business finances

• Develop a financial plan to support business viability. Specific
• Legal requirements apply to the financial management of a small business.

Market the small business

• Develop and implement marketing strategies
• Monitor and improve market performance for small business.

2. Business operations:

Monitor and Manage Small Business Operations

• Implementing the business plan and the operation of the business.
• Monitoring, managing and reviewing operational procedures to ensure ongoing sustainability and success.

Establish Legal and Risk Management Requirements of Small Business

• Identifying and complying with the regulatory, legal, taxation and insurance requirements
• Risk management needs of your small business.
• Knowing what needs to be done to comply with legal obligations and responsibilities associated with your business industry, location and operation

Environmentally sustainable work practices

• Effective analysis of the workplace in relation to environmentally sustainable work practices
• Implementing improvements and monitoring their effectiveness.

Monitor a safe workplace

• Occupational health and safety (OHS) requirements for small business
• Implementing policies, procedures and programs in the work place to make it a safe place to work.

3. People skills

Manage a small team

• Managing staff, industrial relations, staff selection, staff records, induction, training, team development and career planning to help develop and retain a competent, committed and motivated team.

Establish effective workplace relationships

• Developing and maintaining effective win-win working relationships and networks.

Contribute to team effectiveness

• Communication and developing team cohesion

How long is the course?

• 12 months with additional four to six weeks to submit assessment projects if required.

• 12 hours per week

• Recorded and live online classes* using Elluminate.

* Classes provide students with the theory needed to complete the assessments and gain their qualification.

How is the course taught?

The course is a blended style of online learning and practical activities to give you a mix of practical learning, formal learning, reading, research and practice as you gain the new skills and knowledge. Assessment tasks are designed to help you achieve this.

Students also work with their peers in the group to practice and learn new skills and complete assessment tasks. This can be done face to face, on the phone or via email.

Students must have a workplace or organisation to work with for the learning and assessment activities, this allows for practical learning and development of skills to take place.

The combination of online classes and assessment activities help students to gain the relevant practical experience necessary in the workplace. All classes are recorded and facilitated using Elluminate virtual conferencing. Students can listen to them as many times as they like.

Notes and resources are available on the website to download and work with regularly.

A mentor/coach supports you to get their qualification, gain confidence, skills and expertise and to be the best trainer you can be.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments in this course are mostly holistic and incorporate many of the units together.

An example of one of the holistic assessment tasks is business planning. Components of the business plan will incorporate marketing, financials, staff requirements, OHS, environmental sustainability and risk management. These are covered extensively throughout the course in other units and then partly assessed in the final business plan at the end of the course. Examples of other ‘holistic’ assessments in this course are team management and operational planning.

In a nutshell assessments are:

• written questions

• assignments

• Workplace projects

• Team projects

• business plan

• case studies

Each assessment provides the opportunity for students to make the material relevant to their own business or workplace.

We understand that in some instances, assessments may need to take place for individual units rather than holistic assessment. Such as in the case of partial RPL or students wishing to study particular skill sets rather than the whole course. Assessments can be tailored to meet this need.

How many hours do I have to set aside each week to complete the course?

We recommend about an hour to an hour-a-half per day would be perfect – that means around 12 hours per week.

How flexible is the course?

You can study from home or anywhere in the world as long as you have internet and phone access – even while travelling. This means you can keep working or bringing up your family while you study.

The monthly classes can be accessed either via your computer or by phone, so wherever you have access to good internet or a phone, you can join the course.

If, for some reason, you are unable to make one of the classes, the calls are recorded. The recordings are also a great resource for you to listen to the call over and over to really learn and integrate the material.

It is vitally important that you have a workplace or organisation to work with while undertaking this course.

What does it cost?

Individual fee paying student

$4,966

Payment option:

Monthly

Paid in interest free instalments over 12 months

• first instalment $675 (includes $285 enrolment fee)

• then 11 monthly instalments of $390 using Ezy Debit

Weekly

Paid in interest free instalments over 12 months

• first instalment $578 covers first two weeks in advance and includes $285 enrolment fee

• then 48 weekly instalments of $93.62 using Ezy Debit

What others costs will there be?

We work to keep costs to a minimum for you. Some of the additional costs may include:

· Headphones and microphone for virtual conference classes

· Printing of assignments.

· Postage

· Telephone calls to your course facilitator for mentoring and coaching support

·

· Additional recommended books as optional resources

Do I have to want to become a business owner to take this course?

No. Many individuals from a wide variety of careers and industry or members of various organisations areas take part in our training for their own interest, personal and professional development.

How do I enrol or find out more?

Contact Lisa directly at the Insight Foundation's Business Program

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it