Syllabus: AQA - GCSE Business
Module: Business in the Real World
Lesson: 3.1.6 Business Planning

Introduction

This article is built around AQA’s GCSE Business syllabus, specifically section 3.1.6 – Business planning. It’s a core part of the “Business in the real world” unit and sets the foundations for understanding how businesses start, grow, and respond to uncertainty. Whether you’re introducing enterprise to a Year 10 group or preparing for final revision, this topic connects directly with the lived experience of real businesses. It also opens up chances to embed enterprise skills and career context without derailing your scheme of work.

Key Concepts

As outlined by the AQA GCSE Business specification, students should understand:

• The purpose of planning: Why businesses need a plan — to reduce risk and support success.

• Main sections of a business plan:

  • Business aims and objectives

  • Financial forecasts (cash flow, revenue projections)

  • Market research and marketing strategy

  • Human resources

  • Operations

• Benefits and drawbacks of business planning, especially for startups and small firms.

• Use of a business plan to attract finance (e.g., from banks or investors).

• How and why a business plan might be adapted over time.

Real-World Relevance

Business planning isn’t just a theory topic. Every high street startup, every Dragons’ Den pitch, and every corner shop expansion starts with a version of what students learn here. Use current examples like:

• The rise of local food businesses post-pandemic — many started with basic business plans to secure community investment.

• Subscription services (e.g., beauty boxes or eco-cleaning products) — how they’ve used clear planning to pitch to backers.

• Side hustles from students or families they know — selling online, offering tutoring, or running events — all benefit from basic planning tools.

A short case study comparing a successful start-up that used a business plan with one that didn’t can land the learning. Students can critically analyse what made the difference.

How It’s Assessed

AQA typically assesses this content through:

• Short explain-style questions: E.g., “Explain one reason why a business might produce a business plan.”

• Data response/application questions: Students might be given a scenario and asked to identify how planning could help.

• Evaluate questions (6 or 9 marks): E.g., “Do you think all businesses need a business plan to be successful? Justify your answer.”

Command words like explain, analyse, and justify require students to demonstrate chains of reasoning, backed by examples and application.

Encourage students to structure extended answers using “Because, So What, What If” techniques to build depth.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This topic is a natural fit for key enterprise skills:

• Decision making: Choosing where to spend, who to target, or how to promote.

• Problem solving: Identifying risks and creating contingencies in a plan.

• Numeracy: Forecasting revenue and calculating costs.

• Critical thinking: Judging when planning is helpful — and when it might be overkill.

Using our MarketScope AI tool, students can simulate launching a business, assess the market, and draft business aims. It’s plug-and-play and directly aligned to this unit.

Careers Links

Business planning connects with:

• Entrepreneurship and self-employment: Clear link to Gatsby Benchmark 4 (curriculum learning linked to careers) and Benchmark 5 (encounters with employers).

• Finance roles: Financial forecasting is core to careers like accounting or financial analysis.

• Marketing and sales: Business plans include market research and marketing strategy — students start to see how these functions interlock.

A great add-on? Invite a local business owner to talk through their first business plan. Students can compare theory with lived experience — high engagement, low prep.

Teaching Notes

Tips:

• Start with a real business case (local or national) to hook attention.

• Use structured worksheets to break down business plans into sections.

• Pair planning with a mini enterprise project for practical reinforcement.

Common pitfalls:

• Students often write vague plans — model specificity (e.g., “target customers: local dog owners aged 30–60” not “everyone”).

• Don’t overdo the maths early — ease in with relatable costs and prices.

Extension ideas:

• Ask students to write a pitch based on their plan — link to speaking and listening skills.

• Use Enterprise Skills’ Pitch Deck Analyser to scaffold and assess business ideas against real-world investor expectations.