MoviesDoorToDoor.com How Accounting Helped Make the Difference

by Beasley, Mark S.; Buckless, Frank A.

• ISBN13: 9780130610478
• ISBN10: 013061047X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-12-18
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

This novella uses its fun and fictional story setting to highlight how an understanding of basic accounting concepts and related information is necessary to operate a business successfully. Its unique format will engage and motivate readers and learners from a wide variety of backgrounds, and enlighten them as to the need and use of accounting in their various professional careers.The story line chronologically follows a realistic progression of events that occur when a business is created. Each chapter focuses on a key event in the exciting life of this hypothetical start-up company.For anyone entering a business related career without an accounting background, and for bank training classesparticularly new hires entering into lending and credit approval responsibilities.

Table of Contents

The Light Goes On	1	(6)
Begging the Parents	7	(14)
Starting the Business	21	(12)
Buying Movies---Can't Turn Back	33	(12)
Rentals at Last	45	(12)
Becoming the Boss	57	(12)
The Celebration	69	(12)
The Crash!	81	(12)
Going to the Bank	93	(12)
Getting Smart---Tapping the Market	105	(14)
The Negotiations Begin	119	(12)
What Next?	131

Excerpts

One of the greatest challenges when teaching most business courses is helping students see the relevance and value of the course content for their future business careers. While students frequently share dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, they often struggle with understanding how course materials will ever personally affect them.This concern is particularly relevant when teaching introductory courses in accounting. At most institutions, the majority of students enrolled in the introductory course are majoring in fields other than accounting. Many of these students approach the course with some trepidation and doubt whether the material will have much long-term benefit for them personally. Furthermore, the lack of a solid understanding of business concepts often causes students to struggle with mastering the technical accounting content because they are unable to recognize how the accounting concepts and issues affect major business decisions.The purpose ofMoviesDoorToDoor.com: How Accounting Helped Make the Differenceis to present accounting and business concepts in a logical order consistent with the way business owners and managers face them in the business world. This book features in a fictional story format three young entrepreneurs, Brad, Courtney and John, who must make numerous business decisions as they create and grow a start-up company. While none of the business founders has much accounting training or experience, they quickly realize that many of their business decisions must be based on solid accounting information. The story describes how they use that information when encountering both trials and triumphs while starting a traditional "brick and mortar" business that has an Internet-based component in the uncertain technology economy.This book is divided into twelve short chapters that deal with various business decisions made by Brad, Courtney and John as their business unfolds. Rather than address the issues in the order they are presented on the balance sheet, much like many traditional textbooks for introductory accounting do, this book introduces accounting and other business activities in a chronological order most consistent with what business owners would actually face when creating and growing a business. We believe that presenting accounting concepts in a story format that intertwines both personal and business issues will motivate student interest in the content of the introductory course in accounting, thus increasing their learning. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter are designed to stimulate class discussion on related accounting and business concepts.This book is intended to be used as a supplemental reading in an introductory accounting course, at the undergraduate or MBA levels. There are a couple of approaches instructors can take to integrate this with other course materials. One approach would be to assign the reading of the book early in the semester or quarter to give students an overview of the business context of how accounting is used. Relevant chapter materials can be referenced throughout the semester or quarter as the concepts are introduced in class. Another approach would be to spread the reading of each of the chapters evenly over the semester or quarter period, requiring only a few minutes of reading each week. Instructors would take a few moments during class periods to link the concepts to the textbook material. Under either approach, the discussion questions, whether answered individually or in groups, can be used to stimulate rich'class discussions.Because this book also presents issues faced when developing and creating a new business, the use ofMoviesDoorToDoor.com: How Accounting Helped Make the Differencecan also be used in an introductory business course, a course on small businesses, or an entrepreneurial-focused class. In addition, this book may be an effective resource for executive education or other c