Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to
- Continue to develop critical thinking skills
- Recognize the elements of the business plan
- Conduct market research and customer discovery
- Explain how to form financial projections for new venture creation
- Confidently present business ideas in an elevator pitch
Week 1
Module: Course Introduction – Value Propositions – Competitive Advantage
Outcomes
- Recite the concept of critical thinking
- Know what a value proposition is and how it relates to your business
- Explain the concept of competitive advantage
Lecture: View Introduction to Business Plan Research
Outcomes
- Define and explain critical thinking skills
- Identify a problem or gaps in the market
- Critically apply your product or concepts to these problems
Lecture: View Value Propositions
Outcomes
- Recognize what they are
- Link it to the discussion of customers and markets
- Develop a basis for performing market analysis and customer discovery
Lecture: View Competitive Advantage
Outcomes
- Recognize what a competitive advantage is
- Determine what the strategic implications of having a strategy are
- Redefine their product or service by focusing on value and competitive advantage
Week 2
Module: Customer Discover and Validation
Outcomes
- Know the difference between customer discover, market research, and market analysis
- Implement the techniques of customer discovery
Lecture: View Customer Discovery and Validation
Outcomes
- Recognize the tool of customer discovery
- Formulate an interview session with potential customers
- Learn the concept of pivoting
Week 3
Module: Marketing Analysis
Outcomes
- Learn the process of market analysis
- Recognize how to size a market and identify total addressable market
- Use library resources to gather market specific data
Lecture: View Customer Profiling
Outcomes
- Define your customer
- Segment your target market
- Assess competition and create a competitive grid
Lecture: View Market Analysis
Outcomes
- Identify their target market
- Determine market size based on demographics
- Conduct a full blown market analysis
Lecture: View Using Library Resources
Outcomes
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Local data sources
Week 4
Module: Marketing Plan
Outcomes
- Know how to appeal to your market
- Utilize available tools that can be used to market your idea
- Create a functional marketing plan
Lecture: View Understanding Marketing
Outcomes
- Know the difference between discovery, analysis, and a plan
- Recognize who are the primary customers
- Learn what it means to have laser marketing focus
Lecture: View Developing a Marketing Plan Part One
Outcomes
- Know market strategy, positioning, and differentiation
- Evaluate the difference between cost leadership and product differentiation
- Determine pricing based on “how” you compete
Lecture: View Developing a Marketing Plan Part Two
Outcomes
- Define and understand the elements of promotional mix
- Identify the sales process and the distribution strategy
Week 5
Module: Management Team
Outcomes
- Know the importance of a management team
- Become familiar with boards of advisors and directors
- Know the concepts of corporate governance and agency theory
Lecture: View Corporate Governance
Outcomes
- Know the history of corporation development
- Explain the evolution of entrepreneurial growth
- See the need for corporate governance
Lecture: View Agency Theory
Outcomes
- Define agency theory and be able to apply it to a business setting
- Realize the inherent problems with agency theory
- Become aware of opportunism and how it applies to entrepreneurial ventures
Lecture: View Management Team
Outcomes
- Define and understand the role of a board of directors and board of advisors
- Identify strategies for ownership and why it is important
- Begin to develop techniques for pitching
Week 6
Module: Operating Your Business
Outcomes
- Determine the importance of planning your operation
- Apply critical thinking skills to predict business needs
- Create a developed operational plan for the business
Lecture: View Operations Plan
Outcomes
- Critically think about actions required for operating a business
- Know the components of a business operation
- Prepare and plan for the business operations process
Lecture: View Product Development Plan
Outcomes
- Define the stages of product development
- Know the challenges and risks of product development
- Determine how to protect knowledge and products from competition
Week 7
Module: Financial Planning For Your Business Plan
Outcomes
- Apply basic accounting and finance techniques
- Prepare source and use statements
- Create a dynamic pro forma statement
- Justify expenses
Lecture: View Sources and Uses Statement
Outcomes
- Know the basics of accounting
- Know the differences between debt and equity
- Define both sources and uses of funds
Lecture: View Financial Statements
Outcomes
- Apply critical thinking skills to financial modeling
- Determine the difference between income and cash flow
- Prepare financial statements for business plan
Week 8
Module: Putting It All Together
Outcomes
- Construct a 10-slide venture capital pitch deck
- Know how to create an elevator pitch
Lecture: View 10-Slide Venture Pitch
Outcomes
- Learn how to construct 10 quality content-filled slides
- Create a convincing pitch packet
- Know the concept of venture pitching
Lecture: View Presenting with Confidence
Outcomes
- Know and apply the 6-6-6 rule and 10-20-30 rule
- Tell a good story with a hook, problem, solution, and resolution
- Create a 60–90 second elevator pitch
Lecture: View Executive Summary and Putting It All Together
Outcomes
- Write a concise targeted executive summary
- Discuss how the entire business plan process is linked together
- Launch your entrepreneurial venture
The course description, objectives and learning outcomes are subject to change without notice based on enhancements made to the course. December 2013