Build a Business . . . in an Hour or Less: Getting Closer to Reality into the Classroom

Abstract

This paper presents a process for students to create busi-nesses in the classroom. Handouts guide students through systematic procedures to create a website that looks as real as that of an existing business. The conceptual content cor-responds to a portion of a business management course covering startup, planning, execution, and organizational structure. This approach provides an experiential and vir-tually real way to have students engage with key concepts. A series of forms represent five discrete lessons to guide students through the process. Examples of student out-comes, the forms, and an instructor assessment sheet are included.