Detailed information on what our online courses include detailing each chapter of our business startup course. We cover all the skills required to develop and launch your enterprose. Our course is designed to teach you about starting a business- everything from business opportunity validation to the entire project managment of starting yoour own venture. We cover business finance and legal compliance too.
We also provide a comprehensive range of forms, documents, guides and policy documents for our customers to download. It's a truly comprehensive course. Please fill in our enquiry form to find out more.
Additional resources included in your subscription
For detail of what each section contains click on the numbered tabs below.
Chapter 1: Welcome to our course
- 1.1 Starting up in business
Welcome Aboard!
This section is all about making you feel at home with our business training course for aspiring entrepreneurs. Please remember that you have 14 days to check it out propeerly during which you may request a full refund.
1.1 Contents:
- About startups
- Our promise
- Who this course is for
- Terminology used in the course
- Course navigation
- Some questions for you
- Attributes you will need
- Downloading the app
- Meeting your tutor
- What you will need
Chapter 2: Startup Information
- 2.1 Business facts: An introduction to small business
- 2.2 Top tips for start up enterprises
- 2.3 Developing the right attitude
- 2.4 Reasons not to start a business
- 2.5 Reasons startups fail
- 2.6 Understanding business basics
- 2.7 Startup steps: Setting up a new business
- 2.8 Business Identity
- 2.9 Startup Strategies
- 2.10 Types of business
Business start-up facts
2.1 Contents:
- Small business statistics
- SMEs & the economy
- UK business demographics
- SME business trends
- Concentrations of business
- SME home truths
- Getting help
- Being your product
- Challenges
- Startup myths
Startup Advice: do's & dont's
2.2 Contents:
- Becoming an expert
- Using resources effectively
- The value of cash
- Making it your own
- Getting on with it
- Embracing the power of "now"
- The importance of passion
- A need for focus
- Product development
Mindset & attitudes
2.3 Contents:
- What is an entrepreneur?
- Entrepreneurs or celebrities?
- How to be an entrepreneur
- Doing it for the right reasons
- Watch your attitude
- Your ultimate goal
- Benefits of business
- Positive mindset
- Size is no disadvantage
- Small is beautiful
Why not to start a business?
2.4 Contents:
- Fear
- Age
- Not being a salesperson
- Lack of capital
- Income worries
- Not having a good idea
- Because you're a control freak
- Being risk adverse
- Wanting to be a millionaire
- Buy a business instead
Before you set your heart on starting a new enterprise and living a life of independence, it might be a good idea to consider some of the reasons why not to. It's a big undertaking and not without its risks. In this section, we explore some of the issues that might be holding you back. Fear of failure, a reluctance to act as salesperson for your new venture, insufficient capital and being risk adverse might be just some of the reasons you are reluctant to commit. Not to worry though- we grapple with each of these issues (and more) and consider strategies for overcoming these barriers. In all honesty, our course might teach you that you are not quite ready for the world of business in which case we hope that helping you to make your mind up one way or the other will save you a whole lot of time and money.
Learning from failure; why startups fail
2.5 Contents:
- Lack of start up preparation
- Lack of purpose
- Bad timing
- Insufficient skills
- Not enough research
- Absence of strategy
- Poor finance & cash flow
- Falling foul of legal issues
- Ropey people & teams
- Poor location
Preparing for enterprise
We explore what's involved in starting up in commerce. A high-level view of what's required and what can be expected as you strive for entrepreneurial success.
2.6 Contents:
- Starting a business is scary
- It's a character test
- From ideas into action
- It's fun (or should be)
- It's about practice & learning
- Turning consumers into customers
- It's not just about new ideas
- Maximising available resources
- The advantage of agility
- Secrets of startup success
Steps to take before launch
Section Contents:
- Taking stock
- Start developing ideas
- Refining your products
- Improvements based on feedback
- Finding co-founders & partners
- Sales & Marketing plan
- Preparing a business plan
- Company formation
- Raising finance
- Launching your venture
This section deals with the steps to consider before starting a company, we explore how to develop ideas and then refine and improve them based on customer feedback. After that you need to find partners, devise your sales and marekting plan, form your company and get your finainces in order.
Creating company identity
2.8 Contents:
- Your business values & ethics
- Company mantra
- Mission & vision
- Brand identity
- Naming my business
- Strapline
- Positioning
- Branding
- Logos
- Web presence
- Staying in the spotlight
Business strategy
2.9 Contents:
- Timing your startup
- Mindset & attitude for business
- Growth strategies
- Positioning
- Bringing on board partners
- Business Models
- Creating a culture
- Your value proposition
- PEST Analysis
- Startup strategy summary
Business types for new entrepreneurs
2.10 Contents:
- Women in business
- Startups for over 50's
- Your business
- Buying a franchise
- Digital ventures
- Service enterprises
- Wholesaling
- Retailing
- Social Enterprise
- Ethnic businesses
Chapter 3: Developing business ideas
- 3.1 Idea generation
- 3.2 Generating business ideas
- 3.3 Developing business ideas
- 3.4 Opportunity development
- 3.5 Startup Business models
- 3.6 Delivering value
- 3.7 Business terms for new entrepreneurs
- 3.8 Business skills for new entrepreneurs
- 3.9 Startup checklist
- 3.10 Deadly startup sins
Developing oportunities
Subjects covered:
- Ideas versus opportunities
- Identifying business opportunities
- Observing trends
- Using social networks for research
- Reading the future
- Trends- technological advances
- Trends- changes in legislation
- Creativity & idea generation
- What kind of business to start
- Choosing the right business
Coming up with business ideas
From brainstorming to researching how to clarify your decision making process and choose the opportunity that best suits you.
Subjects covered:
- Brainstorming startup ideas
- Ask "how"
- Focus groups
- Research
- Using social media
- Full-time or moonlighting?
- Solving a problem
- Examples of problems solved
- Finding a gap in the market
- Refining your idea with a mentor
Developing startup ideas
Subjects covered:
- Business feasibility study
- Measuring the value of your idea
- Evaluating your idea
- Pros & Cons of your idea
- Evolving your idea
- SWOT: Strengths
- SWOT: Weaknesses
- SWOT: Threats
- SWOT: Opportunities
Finding profitable ideas.
Subjects covered:
- Opportunities versus ideas
- Opportunity development
- What to avoid
- The process to follow
- What kind of opportunity
- Opportunity recognition
- Identifying opportunities
- Feasibility analysis
- Mapping your capabilities
- Opportunity evaluation matrix
Start up business models
Subjects covered:
- The importance of business models
- Types of business model
- The business model template
- Disruptive business models
- The auction model
- The peer to peer model
- The Franchise model
- The razor & blades model
- The freemium model
- Other business models
Delivering customer value for new businesses
Subjects covered:
- Value proposition
- Mantra versus mission
- The innovation cycle
- Product & service basics
- Developing customers
- Understanding customers
- Setting yourself apart from the competition
- Offering unique benefits
- A feeling of belonging
Common business terminology
Subjects Covered:
- Margins
- Profit
- Gross margins
- New Margins
- Return on investments
- Glossary of business terms
Exploring skills for startups
Subjects covered:
- Margins
- Profit
- Gross margins
- New Margins
- Return on investments
- Glossary of other business terms
Business start-up steps
Subjects covered:
- Things to consider
- Do's and Don'ts
- Getting qualified
- A winning name
- Financial projections
- Company formation
- Startup business plan
Common mistakes to avoid in business
Subjects covered:
- Making assumptions
- Rushing your preparation
- Old School business plans
- Using tradition job titles
- Blindly following a plan
- Premature scaling
- Managing by crisis management
Chapter 4: Assessing your strengths
- 4.1 About you
- 4.2 Quiz: Asessing your strengths
What drives you
Section contents:
- Is enterprise right for you?
- Are you meant to be self-employed?
- Reasons for being here
- Personal skills
- What floats your boat
- If you've been made redundant
- What's in it for you
- Knowing your limits
- Making business work for you
- Summary
Taking your pulse
A 40 question survey to determine your readiness for business
Subjects Explored:
- Your behaviours
- Your attitudes
- Your business knowledge
- Your startup mindset
- Startup Readiness
- Your idea
- Your finances
Chapter 5: Company types & formation
Click on the the numbered tabs below to see the content of each section. Knowing what kind of company to…Conducting market research for startups
Market Research for Entrepreneurs equate to Success. No matter how brilliant your business idea you need to sure that someone…Chapter 7: Sales & Marketing
- 7.1 A positive image
- 7.2 The marketing mix: marketing a new enterprise
- 7.3 Creating a web presence
- 7.4 Social media for new entrepreneurs
- 7.5 Starting a business: Market analysis
- 7.6 Porter's 5 forces
- 7.7 Perceptual maps
- 7.8 The marketing plan: We tell you what's involved
- 7.9 Sales for new entrepreneurs
- 7.10 Customer service for new businesses
Creating a positive image for your startup business
- Branding
- What's in a name?
- Names really matter
- Getting your message across
- Website for new entrepreneurs
- Letterheads, logos & stationery
- Email marketing
- Print marketing
- Promotion, packaging & advertising
- Social media
A winning marketing strategy
Subjects covered:
- Market positioning
- The four P's
- Product
- Promotion
- Price
- Place
- The 7 P's
- Measuring your marketing
- Marketing legislation
- Market summary
Creating a dynamic web presence
- Buying a domain name
- Hosting & building your website
- Search engine optimisation
- Good site coding
- Site structure
- Online promotion
- Do's and Dont's of web design
- Monetizing your site
- Blogs
- Web site summary
Creating a social media presence
- Types of social media
- The business benefits of social media
- Risks of social media
- Social media tools
- Social media policy
- Social media platforms
- Social media summary
Conducting market analysis
Getting to know your market inside out before you launch a venture,
Subject covered:
- What is market analysis?
- Market size
- Market growth rate
- Market profitability
- Industry cost structures
- Distribution channels
- Market trends
- Key success factors
- Market analysis tools
- Market analysis summary
Power in business relationships
Subjects covered:
- Introducing Porter's 5 forces
- Concentration ratios
- Rivalry
- Competitive advantage
- The rule of 3 & 4
- Threat of substitutes
- Buyer power
- Supplier power
- Threat of new entrants
- Barriers to entry
The importance of customer perceptions
Subjects covered:
- What is a perceptual map?
- Defining perceptual maps
- Constructing a perceptual map
- Choosing product attributes
- Assessing competitors
- Scoring competitors
- Positioning strategy
- The multi-attribute model
- More on the multi-attribute model
- Perceptual maps summary
Creating your marketing plan
Subjects covered:
- Key elements of a marketing plan
- Define your strengths and weaknesses
- Strategy versus tactics
- Marketing objectives
- Communication
- Tips and pitfalls to avoid
- Profiling your customers
- Remember the 7P's
- What to include in your plan
- Marketing plan summary
Getting the sales ball rolling
Subject covered:
- The importance of sales!
- Elevator pitch for startups
- Effective sales
- Sales advice for new business
- Presenting
- Customer loyalty
- Consumer protection legislation
- More consumer protection
- Learn from sales gurus
- Sales summary
Creating a customer service culture
Subject covered:
- What is customer service?
- The customer journey
- Customer journey maps
- Monitoring complaints
- Systems & proceedures
- Creating a service culture
- Brand loyalty
- Bad customer service
- Customer service benefits
- Customer service summary
Chapter 8: Business setup & operations
- 8.1 Employment law
- 8.2 Team building
- 8.3 Managing a team: Motivating & leading
- 8.4 Stakeholder management: keeping it all connected
- 8.5 Measurable objectives
- 8.6 Protecting your business
- 8.7 Insurance & Pensions
- 8.8 Regulations & legislation for a new business
- 8.9 Finances & Leases
- 8.10 Financial ratios for new business owners
Employer legislation for startups
- Employer responsibilities
- Employment law
- Health & safety
- Maintaining a safe environment
- Discrimination
- Maternity leave
- Parental leave
- Handling a downturn
- Sacking employees
- Record keeping
Finding the right team
Subjects covered:
- How to hire
- Understand what motivates people
- Start up co-founders & team building
- Employment law
- Planning, prioritising & delegating
- Improve your own skills
- Networking & partnerships
- Sharing equity with staff
- Finding a mentor
- People summary
Getting the best from your new team
Subjects covered:
- Leadership
- Motivating a start-up team
- Engagement & empowerment
- Organising people
- Team building
- Interviewing
- Managing performance
- Rewarding people
- Resolving people problems
- Team managment summary
The art of stakeholder relations
- What are stakeholders?
- The Mendelow matrix
- Stakeholder interests
- External stakeholders
- Other stakeholers
- Stakeholder power for start ups
- Determining interest & power
- Charitable action
- Stakeholder management
- Stakeholders summary
Setting and measuring objectives
Subjects covered:
- Understanding objectives
- Setting goals
- What to measure
- Customer acquisition costs
- Customer retention
- Lifetime value
- Revenue
- Financial KPI's
- Non-financial KPI's
- Critical success factors
Managing risk and protecting your business
Subjects covered:
- Intellectual property
- Non-disclosure
- IP protection
- Business name
- Licensing
- Data protection
- Risk register
- Credit risk
- Insurance
- Managing risk summmary
Protecting your business with insurance
Subject covered:
- Business Insurance Basics
- Buying insurance
- Employer’s Liability
- Professional indemnity insurance
- Vehicle Insurance
- Other Insurance
- More insurance!
- Pensions
- Summary
Keeping your startup legal
Subjects covered:
- Business law Introduction
- Licences: Do you need one?
- Data protection
- Distance selling
- Trading Standards
- Consumer Rights Act 2015
- Hire Purchase Agreements
- Digital Content
- Business Rates
- Business legislation summary
Understanding finances & leasing
- Budgets versus forecasts
- Bank Accounts
- Cash-flow Forecast
- Invoice finance
- Tenancy Agreements
- Leases & Licences
- Lease Lengths
- Allowed Use
- Tenancy Contracts: Key Terms
- More Tenancy Terms
Understanding financial ratios
For those seeking investors, we help you to understand financial ratios and other common ratios applied by investors when deciding to invest or not.
Subjects Covered:
- Activity ratios
- Inventory turnover
- Receivables turnover
- Payables turnover
- Asset turnover
- Liquidity ratios
- Liquidity cash ratio
- Solvency ratios
- Profitability ratios
- Financial ratios: summary
Chapter 9: Business plan & Finance
- 9.1 Business plan basics
- 9.2 Common business plan mistakes
- 9.3 Business plan structure
- 9.4 Raising finance for a venture
- 9.5 Sources of funding: where to raise funds
Creating a startup business plan
Subjects Covered:
- Why prepare a plan?
- What is a business plan?
- Topics to include in your plan
- Avoid pointless plans
- Your audience
- Make it a "live" document
- Presenting your business plan
- Tips for presenting
- Business plan summary
Common business plan mistakes
Subjects Covered:
- Making it too complicated
- Lack of credibility
- Lack of clarity
- No market knowledge
- Thinking your plan is complete
- No real focus
- Making crazy predictions
- Overvaluing your business idea
- Unsatisfactory demand
- Not paying attention to detail
- Too much detail for later years
Structure of your plan
Subjects covered:
- The executive summary
- Your product & services
- Supply chain
- Markets & competitors
- Sales & marketing
- Your people
- Operations
- Location
- Management information
- Information technology
- Finances
- Risk analysis
Documents and templates are available for this section
How to raise finance for a startup
Subjects covered:
- What investors won't do
- What you will need
- Open your own wallet first
- Sign up strategic partners first
- Bootstrap
- Types of finance
- Sources of finance
- How much to raise
- Pitching your business
How to secure finance
Subjects Covered:
- Startup loans
- Crowdfunding
- Angel investment
- Family & friends
- Credits cards
- Bank finance
- Equity funding
- Venture capital
- Business partners
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