BUSINESS P2 NOTES
,This booklet is intended on helping you achieve top marks in the essay section. For me,
essay writing came naturally and my goal is to make it as enjoyable and easy for you as
possible (while getting the best possible marks!)
A few tips:
It is all about integration, how I use to prepare is in the weeks leading up to the essay
research current affairs using News24.
For example, using a petrol station:
The Automobile Association just announced petrol increase of R1,50 per liter of petrol.
Identify the issue:
Customers in South Africa have limited spending power in a tough economic climate, so
many may choose to use lift-clubs/public transportation
Due to the unaffordability it will lead to less sales at the petrol station, therefore less
profits.
The say HOW this could be an opportunity and what the business could do to ensure
profitability:
They could monopolize on the garage shop by having sales such as “2-for-1”
Give out customer loyalty cards to ensure customers return
Even if the essay DOES NOT require a PESTLE analysis, still do your essay using one but
using the topic you are being tested on ie. forms of ownership/ the financial function
etc.
Please read my attached essay to see a worked example of this. It is also CRITICAL to put
in your 60% of content and correct business terminology.
I hope these notes help you!
Best of Luck
Livvie xx
,CHALLENGES IN THE MICRO ENVIRONMENT
Difficult employees
o May lack skills
o Unproductive
o May be unable to work in a team
o Affect productivity
o Morale and success of the business
Lack of vision and mission
o Causes a business to be without direction
o Vision and mission must be communicated to staff regularly
o Business policies must not contradict the vision or mission
Lack of adequate management skills
o cause conflict in a business
o ineffective management effects productivity and profitability and staff morale
Unions
o Can have agendas which are unknown to the business
o They can be very powerful and cause enormous loss of income for business
Strikes and go-slows
o Always a threat to businesses as they are effective in forcing businesses to
negotiate
MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Competition
o Can be threat if there are too many businesses offering products or services
which are not differentiated enough
Shortage of supply
o Devastating for a business
o Shelves should never be empty
o Or services unavailable due to shortage of supply since customers will go
elsewhere
Changes in consumer behaviour
o Occur frequently as peoples’ needs, wants, values, tastes and attitudes
change due to global influences caused by access to technology
Demographics and psychographic (attitude, tastes and desires of people)
o Target market must be studies and understood in order to make the correct
decisions about what products and services to offer
Socio-culture factors
o Also be taken into account when producing and marketing products and
services especially to varied target markets.
, MACRO ENVIRONMENT
Changes in income levels
o Due to global economy and government’s financial policies
o Upswings and downturns have implications to which business must adapt.
Political changes
o Lead to economic instability which has a negative effect on people’s
confidence and causes them to be more cautious about spending
Contemporary legislation
o Business must constantly keep track of changes and ensure they comply with
the new laws.
Labour restrictions
o Challenge for business to be highly productive and to employ the people they
would like to locally and internationally
Micro-lending
o Puts pressure eon businesses since they want to support micro-businesses,
but they are a big risk as many fail and cannot repay debts
Globalisation/international challenges
o Means more competition of businesses who are already under pressure to
compete locally
Social values and demographics
o Of a global economy are difficult to keep up with
Socio-economic issues
o Of poverty, unemployment, inadequate education, skills shortages, crime and
HIV and Aids are all major challenges to businesses
,This booklet is intended on helping you achieve top marks in the essay section. For me,
essay writing came naturally and my goal is to make it as enjoyable and easy for you as
possible (while getting the best possible marks!)
A few tips:
It is all about integration, how I use to prepare is in the weeks leading up to the essay
research current affairs using News24.
For example, using a petrol station:
The Automobile Association just announced petrol increase of R1,50 per liter of petrol.
Identify the issue:
Customers in South Africa have limited spending power in a tough economic climate, so
many may choose to use lift-clubs/public transportation
Due to the unaffordability it will lead to less sales at the petrol station, therefore less
profits.
The say HOW this could be an opportunity and what the business could do to ensure
profitability:
They could monopolize on the garage shop by having sales such as “2-for-1”
Give out customer loyalty cards to ensure customers return
Even if the essay DOES NOT require a PESTLE analysis, still do your essay using one but
using the topic you are being tested on ie. forms of ownership/ the financial function
etc.
Please read my attached essay to see a worked example of this. It is also CRITICAL to put
in your 60% of content and correct business terminology.
I hope these notes help you!
Best of Luck
Livvie xx
,CHALLENGES IN THE MICRO ENVIRONMENT
Difficult employees
o May lack skills
o Unproductive
o May be unable to work in a team
o Affect productivity
o Morale and success of the business
Lack of vision and mission
o Causes a business to be without direction
o Vision and mission must be communicated to staff regularly
o Business policies must not contradict the vision or mission
Lack of adequate management skills
o cause conflict in a business
o ineffective management effects productivity and profitability and staff morale
Unions
o Can have agendas which are unknown to the business
o They can be very powerful and cause enormous loss of income for business
Strikes and go-slows
o Always a threat to businesses as they are effective in forcing businesses to
negotiate
MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Competition
o Can be threat if there are too many businesses offering products or services
which are not differentiated enough
Shortage of supply
o Devastating for a business
o Shelves should never be empty
o Or services unavailable due to shortage of supply since customers will go
elsewhere
Changes in consumer behaviour
o Occur frequently as peoples’ needs, wants, values, tastes and attitudes
change due to global influences caused by access to technology
Demographics and psychographic (attitude, tastes and desires of people)
o Target market must be studies and understood in order to make the correct
decisions about what products and services to offer
Socio-culture factors
o Also be taken into account when producing and marketing products and
services especially to varied target markets.
, MACRO ENVIRONMENT
Changes in income levels
o Due to global economy and government’s financial policies
o Upswings and downturns have implications to which business must adapt.
Political changes
o Lead to economic instability which has a negative effect on people’s
confidence and causes them to be more cautious about spending
Contemporary legislation
o Business must constantly keep track of changes and ensure they comply with
the new laws.
Labour restrictions
o Challenge for business to be highly productive and to employ the people they
would like to locally and internationally
Micro-lending
o Puts pressure eon businesses since they want to support micro-businesses,
but they are a big risk as many fail and cannot repay debts
Globalisation/international challenges
o Means more competition of businesses who are already under pressure to
compete locally
Social values and demographics
o Of a global economy are difficult to keep up with
Socio-economic issues
o Of poverty, unemployment, inadequate education, skills shortages, crime and
HIV and Aids are all major challenges to businesses
