Hi,
      These are the new project guidelines for business studies:

Project related guidelines for the students in Business Studies (2015-2016)

Students are required to select any one topic out of four units given below for the project.

I. Project One: Elements of Business Environment:

Changes witnessed over the last few years on mode of packaging and its economic impact. Identify the following changes:

a) The changes in transportation of fruits and vegetables such as cardboard crates being used in place of wooden crates, etc. Reasons for above changes.

 b) Milk being supplied in glass bottles, later in plastic bags and now in tetra pack and through vending machines.

c) Plastic furniture [doors and stools] gaining preference over wooden furniture.

d) The origin of cardboard and the various stages of changes and growth.

 e) Brown paper bags packing to recycled paper bags to plastic bags and cloth bags.

f) Re use of packaging [bottles, jars and tins] to attract customers for their products.

g) The concept of pyramid packaging for milk.

 h) Cost being borne by the consumer/manufacturer.

i) Packaging used as means of advertisements.

 2. The reasons behind changes in the following: Coca – Cola and Fanta in the seventies to Thums up and Campa Cola in the eighties to Pepsi and Coke in nineties. The teacher may guide the students to the times when India sold Coca Cola and Fanta which were being manufactured in India by the foreign companies. The students may be asked to enquirer about a) Reasons of stopping the manufacturing of the above mentioned drinks in India THEN.

b) The introduction of Thums up and Campa cola range.

c) Re entry of Coke and introduction of Pepsi in the Indian market.

d) Factors responsible for the change.

e) Other linkages with the above.

f) Leading brands and the company having the highest market share. g) Different local brands venturing in the Indian market.

h) The rating of the above brands in the market.

i) The survival and reasons of failure in competition with the international brands.

 j) Other observations made by the students The teacher may develop the following on the above lines  3. Changing role of the women in the past 25 years relating to joint families, nuclear families, women as a bread earner of the family, changes in the requirement trend of mixers, washing machines, micro wave and standard of living.

4. The changes in the pattern of import and export of different Products.

5. The trend in the changing interest rates and their effect on savings.

6. A study on child labor laws, its implementation and consequences.

 7. The state of „anti plastic campaign,‟ the law, its effects and implementation. 8. The laws of mining /setting up of industries, rules and regulations, licences required for running that business.

9. Social factors affecting acceptance and rejection of an identified product. (Dish washer, Atta maker, etc)

10. What has the effect of change in environment on the types of goods and services? The students can take examples like: a) Washing machines, micro waves, mixers and grinder.

b) Need for crèche, day care centre for young and old. c) Ready to eat food, eating food outside, and tiffin centres.

11. Change in the man-machine ratio with technological advances resulting in change of cost structure. 12. Effect of changes in technological environment on the behavior of employee.

II. Project Two: Principles of Management  : Students are required to observe the application of the general Principles of management advocated by Fayol. Fayol‟s principles

1.       Division of work. 2. Unity of command. 3. Unity of direction. 4. Scalar chain 5. Espirit de corps 6. Fair remuneration to all. 7. Order. 8. Equity. 9. Discipline 10. Subordination of individual interest to general interest. 11. Initiative. 12. Centralization and decentralization. 13. Stability of tenure.

2.       OR They may inquire into the application of scientific management techniques by F.W. Taylor . Scientific techniques of management.           

1.       Functional foreman ship. 2. Standardization and simplification of work. 3. Method study. 4. Motion Study. 5. Time Study. 6. Fatigue Study 7. Differential piece rate plan.

Following instructions and accountability of subordinates to higher authorities.l  Visibility of order and equity in the unit.l  Balance of authority and responsibility.l  Communication levels and pattern in the organisation.l  Methods and techniques followed by the organisation for unity of direction and coordination  amongst all.  Methods of wage payments followed.

The arrangements of fatigue study.l

 Derivation of time study.l  Derivation and advantages of method study.l  Organisational chart of functional foreman-ship l  Any other identified in the organizational. 

vi. It is advised that students should be motivated to pick up different areas of visit. As presentations of different areas in the class would help in better understanding to the other students.

vii. The students may be encouraged to develop worksheets. Teachers should help students to prepare observation tools to be used for undertaking the project. Examples; worksheets, questionnaire, interviews and organisational chart etc.

 III. Project Three: Stock Exchange :The purpose of this project is to teach school students the values of investing and utilizing the stock market. This project also teaches important lessons about the economy, mathematics and financial responsibility. The basis of this project is to learn about the stock market while investing a specified amount of fake money in certain stocks. Students then study the results and buy and sell as they see fit.

This project will also guide the students and provide them with the supplies necessary to successfully monitor stock market trends and will teach students how to calculate profit and loss on stock. The project work will enable the students to:  understand the topics like sources of business finance and capital market  understand the concepts used in stock exchange   inculcate the habit of watching business channels, reading business journals/newspapers and  seeking information from their elders. The students are expected to:

a) Develop a brief report on History of Stock Exchanges in India. (your country) b) Prepare a list of at least 25 companies listed on a Stock Exchange.

 c) To make an imaginary portfolio totaling a sum of Rs. 50,000 equally in any of the 5 companies of their choice listed above over a period of twenty working days. The students may be required to report the prices of the stocks on daily basis and present it diagrammatically on the graph paper.  They will understand the weekly holidays and the holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act.l They will also come across with terms like closing prices, opening prices, etc.  During this period of recording students are supposed to distinctively record the daily and starting  and closing prices of the week other days under the negotiable instrument act so that they acquire knowledge about closing and opening prices. 

The students may conclude by identifying the causes in the fluctuations of prices. Normally it would  be related to the front page news of the a business journal, for example, Change of seasons.l  Festivals.l  Spread of epidemic.l  Strikes and accidents   Natural and human disasters.l  Political environment.l  Lack of faith in the government policies.l  Impact of changes in government policies for specific industry.l  International events.l  Contract and treaties at the international scene.l  Relations with the neighboring countries.l  Crisis in developed countries, etc.l

The students are expected to find the value of their investments and accordingly rearrange their portfolio. The project work should cover the following aspects; 1. Graphical presentation of the share prices of different companies on different dates.

2. Change in market value of shares due to change of seasons, festivals, natural and human disasters.

3. Change in market value of shares due to change in political environment/ policies of various countries/crisis in developed countries or any other reasons

 4. Identify the top ten companies out of the 25 selected on the basis of their market value of shares. It does not matter if they have made profits or losses.

 IV. Project Four: Marketing :1. Toothpaste 2. Noodles 3. Shampoo 4. Bathing soap 5. Washing detergent 6. Washing powder 7. Lipstick 8. Moisturiser 9. Shoe polish 10. Pen 11. Shoes 12. Hair dye 13. Mobile 14. Chocolate 15. Sauces/ketchup 16. Ready soups 17. Body spray 18. Fairness cream 19. Hair oil 20. Roasted Snacks 21. Jeans 22. Pickles 23. Squashes 24. Jams 25. Salt 26. Bread 27. Butter 28. Shaving cream 29. Razor 30. Cheese spreads 31. e –Wash 32. Tiffin wallah 33. Air Conditioners 34. Infant dress 35. Sunglasses 36. Fans 37. Fruit candy 37. Washing powder 39. Bathroom cleaner 40. Wipes 41. Shoe polish 42. Blanket 43. Baby Diapers 44. Hair dye 45. Adhesives 46. Refrigerator 47. Ladies footwear 48. Ready soups 49. RO system 50. Fairness cream 51. Mixers 52. Roasted Snacks 53. Learning Toys 54. Pickles 55. Squashes 56. Jams 277 57. Salt 58. Bread 59. Butter 60. Shaving cream 61. Razor 62. Cheese spreads 63. Microwave oven 64. Music player 65. Pencil 66. Eraser 67. Water bottle 68. Wallet 69. Furniture 70. Crayons 71. Newspaper 72. Jewelry 73. Nail polish 74. Water storage tank 75. Pen drive 76. Ladies bag 77. DTH 78. Sarees 79. Car 80. Cycle 81. Kurti 82. Bike 83. Cosmetology product 84. Crockery 85. Cutlery 86. Camera 87. Breakfast cereal 88. Invertor 89. Suitcase/airbag 90. Washing machine 91. Coffee 92. Tea Any more as suggested by the teacher.

Now the students are required to make a project on the identified product/service keeping in mind the following.

1. Why have they selected this product/service?

2. Find out „5‟ competitive brands that exist in the market.

3. What permission and licences would be required to make the product?

4. What are your competitors Unique Selling Proposition.[U.S.P.]?

5. Does your product have any range give details?

 6. What is the name of your product?

7. Enlist its features.

 8. Draw the „Label‟ of your product.

9. Draw a logo for your product.

10. Draft a tag line.

11. What is the selling price of your competitor‟s product? (i) Selling price to consumer  (ii) Selling price to retailer (iii) Selling price to wholesaler What is the profit margin in percentage to the  Manufacturer.l  Wholesaler.l  Retailer.l

 12. How will your product be packaged?

13. Which channel of distribution are you going to use? Give reasons for selection?

14. Decisions related to warehousing, state reasons.

15. What is going to be your selling price? (i) To consumer (ii) To retailer (iii) To wholesaler

16. List 5 ways of promoting your product.

17. Any schemes for (i) The wholesaler (ii) The retailer (iii) The consumer

18. What is going to be your „U.S.P? 1

9. What means of transport you will use and why?

20. Draft a social message for your label.

21. What cost effective techniques will you follow for your product.

22. What cost effective techniques will you follow for your promotion plan. At this stage the students will realize the importance of the concept of marketing mix and the necessary decision regarding the four P‟s of marketing.  Product   Place  Price   Promotion 

 On the basis of the work done by the students the project report should include the following:

1. Type of product /service identified and the (consumer/industries) process involve there in.

2. Brand name and the product.

3. Range of the product.

 4. Identification mark or logo.

 5. Tagline.

6. Labeling and packaging.

7. Price of the product and basis of price fixation.

 8. Selected channels of distribution and reasons thereof.

 9. Decisions related to transportation and warehousing. State reasons.

10. Promotional techniques used and starting reasons for deciding the particular technique.

11. Grading and standardization. Presentation and Submission of Project Report At the end of the stipulated term, each student will prepare and submit his/her project report. Following essentials are required to be fulfilled for its preparation and submission.

1. The total length of the project will be of 25 to 30 pages.

 2. The project should be handwritten.

 3. The project should be presented in a neat folder.

 4. The project report should be developed in the following sequence-  Cover page should include the title of the Project, student information, school and year.l

 List of contents. Acknowledgements and preface (acknowledging the institution, the places visited and the  persons who have helped).

 Introduction. Topic with suitable heading.l  Planning and activities done during the project, if any.

 Observations and findings of the visit.l  Conclusions (summarized suggestions or findings, future scope of study).  

Photographs (if any).  

Appendix  Teacher’s observation.   

Signatures of the teachers.l

 At the completion of the evaluation of the project, it should be punched in the centre so that  the report may not be reused but is available for reference only.  The projects will be returned after evaluation. The school may keep the best projects.