§-Business Innovation syllabus

Business Innovation syllabus, dot point by dot point

Every dot point in the SA Business Innovation subject outline, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.

Business and Society

Topic overview →

How does a venture protect its ideas and meet its legal obligations?

Identify intellectual property and legal requirements relevant to protecting and operating a venture.

6 min read →

How do project management and decision-making tools turn an idea into delivered actions?

Apply project management and decision-making tools and strategies to plan and deliver a venture in a business context.

6 min read →

How do digital and emerging technologies create both opportunities and challenges for a venture?

Analyse and evaluate the opportunities and challenges that digital and emerging technologies pose for a business.

6 min read →

How do you evaluate the social, economic, environmental and ethical impacts of a business venture?

Analyse and evaluate the social, economic, environmental and ethical impacts of a local or global business.

6 min read →

How does a venture turn data into business intelligence that improves its decisions?

Create and apply business intelligence from data to develop and evaluate business models and plans.

6 min read →

Business Model

Topic overview →

How does a clear value proposition match what a defined customer segment actually needs?

Define customer segments and design a value proposition that fits their needs, using the Value Proposition Canvas.

6 min read →

How does the Business Model Canvas map how a business creates and captures value?

Use the Business Model Canvas to map and evaluate how a business creates, delivers and captures value.

7 min read →

How does a venture choose a revenue model and price that captures the value it creates?

Select and justify a revenue model and pricing strategy that captures value and supports a viable business model.

6 min read →

Financials and Testing

Topic overview →

How do you test whether customers actually want your idea before building it fully?

Test and validate the riskiest assumptions of a business idea using lean experiments and a minimum viable product.

6 min read →

How does a new venture fund its start-up and growth without running out of cash?

Evaluate sources of finance and select appropriate funding for the start-up and growth of a venture.

6 min read →

How do you work out whether a business idea can make money and stay solvent?

Assess the financial viability of a venture using start-up costs, break-even analysis and a cash flow forecast.

7 min read →

Idea Generation

Topic overview →

How do entrepreneurs spot real opportunities and uncover unmet customer needs?

Identify business opportunities by researching customer needs, market gaps and emerging trends.

6 min read →

How does design thinking turn a customer problem into innovative solutions?

Apply design thinking and ideation techniques to generate and select innovative solutions to a defined problem.

6 min read →

How does deep empathy with customers uncover the real problem worth solving?

Apply empathy research methods such as interviews, observation and empathy maps to understand customer problems and needs.

6 min read →

How do market research and trend analysis reveal where a real business opportunity sits?

Use primary and secondary market research and trend analysis to identify gaps and opportunities for a venture.

6 min read →

Pitching, Prototyping and Review

Topic overview →

How does a business plan turn a tested business model into a clear, evidence-based document?

Construct a business plan that communicates the opportunity, model, market, financials and implementation for a venture.

7 min read →

How do you review feedback to refine a venture and communicate the outcome?

Review feedback and performance to refine the business idea and communicate decisions and the business plan.

6 min read →

How does building a prototype turn an idea into something customers can react to?

Create and iterate prototypes of a product or service to test, demonstrate and refine the value proposition.

6 min read →

How do you pitch a business idea so stakeholders understand and back it?

Plan and deliver a persuasive pitch that communicates the value proposition and business case to stakeholders.

6 min read →