Busy young business students eager to develop business skills will find skoool.ie really is a boon, and it is free!

It's not easy for students these days trying to manage everything - part-time jobs, budgeting for the weekend and trying to save a few euro - the "business of living" is a tricky proposition. Then there's the future to think about, business plans to set in motion, planning the route to join the ranks of Ireland's successful new breed of entrepreneurs.

Students have to make sense of the tax system and consumer law at an early stage as well as trying to understand the macro-economic forces that contribute to the swings in fortune of our economy. More students have been opting for business-related courses at third-level and employment opportunities for graduates still seem bright.

Within the school curriculum, the business studies course at Junior Certificate level has been designed to prepare students for the real world, to help them make informed decisions in the everyday business of living and to help them develop enterprise skills for a rapidly changing commercial environment.

To complement this, skoool.ie has developed an entirely free resource offering curriculum-focused interactive business studies courses and a wealth of other features for business students at both junior and senior cycle.

The engaging interactive lessons make creative use of text, animation and voiceover to accelerate understanding for even the most difficult topics. In the junior cycle business studies lesson, double-entry bookkeeping students can watch and learn as the principles of double-entry bookkeeping unfold before their eyes. They can interact with the procedures for opening and operating a current account, observe the construction of standard business documents or gain a better understanding of the marketing process via moving images and instruction.

At Leaving Certificate level, skoool.ie's interactive lessons cover all the key areas of the syllabus in the same fresh and engaging manner. Management skills and activities come to life. The process of business communication is illustrated in a lively fashion and students get a feel for the practical steps involved in starting a new venture from the first bright idea to the final organisational steps. They can see how a business plan is constructed and enhanced and even put themselves in the shoes of someone approaching the bank for a loan or preparing for a difficult interview.

Each of the interactive courses on skoool.ie comes with a 10-question assessment for the students to test what they have learned. A mark out of 10 indicates their progress and appropriate feedback is given. For quick revision, an A4 sheet for each lesson covers the salient points.

Business is also well covered in the Exam Centre at skoool.ie. There are Leaving Certificate study notes on 16 topics, including marketing mix and consumer protection, and model answers guide the student to answering well when it counts. A revision planner provides the backbone for preparing for the exams and the exam guide is extremely useful.

At all stages, students can work at their own pace. Progress tests and guidance on understanding a topic are given throughout. At the end of each lesson, a brief assessment test is offered as a practical method of confirming that concepts are understood. Students can also download a useful revision sheet that contains all the key points of information as a handy reference for future study.

All the content for skoool.ie courses has been developed by professional teachers, key members of the syllabus and examination boards, and is designed with the needs of the student as a priority.

Regular visits to these interactive lessons will reinforce understanding of business concepts and practice and will be a very useful aid to study and revision. By the time students finish the course, they'll have healthy balance sheets to trade with for the next stage of their careers.