Starting a Business: What's Your Big Idea

Students will learn the principles of business and how to apply them to entrepreneurship. They will see how a business is created, from Idea-to-Business Venture-to-StartUp. Students will learn and understand what each step on the way to a profitable business includes, and how to reach these individual goals. 

Students will also be working on their OWN "Big Ideas". The student will use a Lean Canvas-type Template to implement the principles they learn on their "Big Ideas". They will be mentored along the way. 

COURSE PROGRESSION WILL INCLUDE:
(The progression of the course will include all of these topics but they are not time-limited. They will be covered throughout the 6 weeks of the course and both this order and randomly as students' questions and priorities of their "Big Ideas" arise.)

1. Women and Minorities in Business & Management.
2. What is an entrepreneur & why they're important.
3. What are some business structures you can choose from?
4. The business world today and what is your "Big Idea" and the problem you're solving?
5. What makes your Big Idea so special?
6. How does your Big Idea compare to other brands and products in the market?
7. Who are you planning to sell to?
8. How are you going to let them know your Big Idea exists?
9. Are you communicating with your target customers the right way? 
10. What prices are you selling at? Can your targets pay these prices? Who is paying? Are you reaching them the right way?
11. What are all of the ways you can think of to make a profit? Direct sales? Indirect sales? Partnerships? Retail? Website? Social Media?

(Students will then submit their Plans for review)

12. Overview of what they've created and how they have taken an idea and created a venture, which they will eventually, if they move forward, create a Startup. 

The only background knowledge necessary for this course, is a "Big Idea". The homework assigned will all be applicable to the "Big Idea" since we will go over the principles and learn them in class to then be applied on their "Big Ideas". They will be helped along the way, and these projects belong to the students completely. 

Learner progress will be evaluated on the culmination of the steps to complete the StartUp planning process, and the application of the principles correctly. 

The students will have readings and notes to look at. They are place-holders for them to rely on. They will use them as references to help them work on their own, especially since the majority of the course will be live meetings where probable questions may be answered.