This four-lesson pack explores key influences on business decisions. Students begin by examining the purpose and value of business plans, learning how entrepreneurs use them to reduce risk and persuade investors to provide finance. Activities include evaluating key components of a business plan and practising a 9-mark assess question on the importance of business plans in raising finance.

Students then explore competitive advantage and competitiveness, analysing how businesses gain and maintain an advantage in markets such as supermarkets through pricing, innovation and customer loyalty. The lesson develops exam skills through a 9-mark assess question on competitive advantage alongside group market analysis tasks.

The third lesson focuses on influences on business decision-making, including objectives, risk and reward, resources, opportunity cost and market conditions. Relatable decision scenarios help students understand trade-offs before applying concepts to real-world examples such as Boohoo and ethical supply chains.

Finally, students examine stakeholders and ethical dilemmas in decision making, identifying stakeholder objectives and analysing conflicts between groups such as shareholders, employees and customers. Students practise evaluation through a 15-mark exam-style question on shareholder vs stakeholder priorities with structured guidance and peer assessment.

Includes:

• Engaging starters & retrieval
• Real-world business examples and case studies
• Interactive classroom activities and discussion tasks
• Competitive advantage and market analysis activities
• Opportunity cost and decision-making scenarios
• Stakeholder conflict and ethics discussions
• 9-mark assess exam practice
• 15-mark evaluation exam practice
• Peer assessment and plenary tasks

Low-prep, engaging and fully aligned with AQA A-Level Business (First teaching 2026, first exams 2028).