Resources (links)

Assignment Overview

The Solo Project - A Corporate Case Study

The case study allows students to research one of the fifty largest companies based in the United States and share that information with the rest of the class. The research includes how the company came into existence, what are the primary goods or services they provide, a look at their financial position, who are their customers and competitors, and other information about their culture and what they have done to become and maintain their position as one of the top fifty companies. Specific assignment details are available on the Blackboard site for this course.

The Group Project - An International Business Proposal

The group project is a multi-part project that requires groups of three to five students to develop a business proposal for a business located in another country. The group will research a city located abroad to identify likely customers, competitors, and a business they think will likely succeed. The team will develop a project plan to ensure the remaining elements of the assignment are completed on-time. The team will prepare a marketing brochure outlining their business plan and present their business plan to the rest of the class in a business-pitch style setting. Specific assignment details are available on the Blackboard site for this course.

The Resume Project

The resume assignment begins with a look at available professions that might appeal to a student including likely outlook for the demand in the profession, required skills and abilities, the type of work environment, estimated salary range, and some similar professions [Honors Section Only]. Once a profession has been selected, the student will then identify what course sequence needs to be completed at Montgomery College to prepare them for the profession. The assignment concludes with developing a resume and cover letter to apply for a job in that profession. Specific assignment details are available on the Blackboard site for this course.

General Information Links

Investment Terminology and Guidance

• The Balance is a trove of useful investing and personal finance articles and even a few calculators thrown in here and there.
• The Motley Fool is an investment site with easy to read (and understand) guidance for new investors
• Investor.gov is the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission's site with investment information
• Investopedia is another source of investment definitions and explanations
• nerdwallet has LOTS of articles and financial calculators covering everything from credit cards to mortgages to investing to taxes.

Entrepreneurship and Starting a Business

• The Small Business Administration is a federal agency focusing on helping small businesses succeed
• The SBA has a page specifically dedicated to helping write a business plan
• The Entrepreneur Magazine has an on-line site with lots of current events and information

Job Seeker websites

• Career Coach is a Montgomery College site for assisting in a job search
• CollegeGrad.com's site for entry level jobs
• There are also many other job sites like Career Builder, Monster, and Indeed (among others)

General News and Financial Information sites

• Google Finance
• Yahoo Finance
• The Washington Post
• The New York Times
• Wall Street Journal
• CNN (currency exchange rates are also available)
• MSNBC

Other Interesting Links and Videos

• The Montgomery College Business Student Orientation page with links to many useful web pages and forms.
• How to write a mission statement that doesn't suck! and Montgomery College's mission, vision and values statement.
• Google Trends - what is being searched for right now.
• The CIA (yes that CIA) maintains a World Fact Book with information about countries around the globe.
• 50 largest US companies by market capitalization (the value of all stock issued) is a list of the 50 largest companies in the United States.
• The Value Line Investment Survey will be discussed in class