Entrepreneurship · Lesson Plan

Which Business to Choose

The first decision in starting a business is what to sell. This lesson helps students decide by distinguishing businesses that produce a product from those that provide a service, listing the resources each needs, and showing how studying your market shapes the choice. Through worked scenarios (rag dolls, tutoring) students see how a savvy entrepreneur matches the business to the market.

Grades 6–10 Lesson Plan 45–60 minutes Free Lesson Plan Lesson & Activity: Full Membership

Which business to choose lesson illustration

For Teachers

Lesson at a glance

Topic: Entrepreneurship
Grade Level: Grades 6–10
Resource Type: Lesson + Worksheet
Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes
Format: Worksheet + activity
Materials: Printable lesson, activity sheet, whiteboard

What Students Learn

Learning objectives

Distinguish a business that produces a product from one that provides a service
List the resources a business needs to start
Compare the resources different businesses require
Explain how the market influences the choice of business
Decide what kind of business to start

Materials

What you’ll need

Printed worksheet and activity (one per student)
Pencils
Whiteboard

Key Terms

Vocabulary

Product: A physical good a business makes to sell.
Service: Work a business performs for customers.
Resources: What a business needs to operate: materials, equipment, cash, people, premises.
Market: The people who will buy a product or service.
Production: Making a good to sell.
Entrepreneur: A person who starts and runs a business.

For Teachers

Lesson plan

Estimated time: one 45–60 minute class period.

Lesson sequence

Product vs. service (10 min). Define each; sort a list of businesses into product-makers and service-providers.
Resources (15 min). Work the rag-doll and tutoring scenarios to list the resources each business needs.
Compare (10 min). Which business needs fewer resources, and how does that affect the choice?
Market fit (10 min). Discuss how studying the market changes what a smart entrepreneur decides to sell.

Assessment

Assess the sorting and resource lists, plus the reasoning about matching the business to the market.

Discussion

Discussion questions

What is the difference between a product and a service?
What resources does a business need to get started?
Which needs fewer resources: a rag-doll business or a tutoring business?
How should studying the market change what you decide to sell?
What business would you choose to start, and why?

Printable Lesson & Activity