Starting a Business for first time Entrepreneurs by StartupFinance

This course is intended to be a quick and useful guide for anyone attempting to start a business. It establishes a step-by-step methodology to examine the various factors that must be considered when initiating a business based on an idea. It covers introductory aspects to allow an initial critical assessment of whether or not the idea can be transformed into a product (or service), and whether or not it may be appealing to fulfil a market need, before developing a gull market offer and initiating a business model.

The examples provided in the course are designed to quickly and effectively introduce these key concepts so that you can immediately apply them to any project related to starting or expanding an existing business. The course is organized in asynchronous and synchronous sessions during 4 weeks beginning in the first week of each month. In a nutshell, the course is organized as follows:

• You will have from the start access to an online computer simulation with a login and password, on which you will be managing an energy drinks business gradually evolving from the start-up phase to international expansion (the login and password will remain active for 1 month after the course ends).
• Each week new theoretical concepts will be introduced to you in a live session with the author, following which the materials will be made available for self-study. The live sessions will be via Zoom.
• You can explore the theoretical concepts explained each week to you, by using the simulation. You will be making business decisions in the simulation and getting immediate results related to your business's performance and the response from your competitors. Therefore, you will be able to test and see in practical terms how your decisions related to R&D and product development, marketing, distribution, sales, human resources, production, short vs long term financing, and budgeting impact the performance of the business on the market.

This course is based on the book authored by Nuno Arroteia and delivered by StartupFinance using the simulation software developed by Company Game.

By taking this course you will also have the opportunity to interact with the author in one live masterclass!

Nuno Arroteia has extensive industry experience in managerial roles at multinational companies such as Arthur Andersen, Deloitte, UEFA, and Carglass. He is a serial Angel investor with a portfolio across a diverse range of sectors (retail technologies, creative industries, life sciences, and industry). Nuno has been involved in teaching management accounting, international business, and entrepreneurial finance for undergraduate and postgraduate programs, and he is currently a Senior Lecturer at Leicester Castle Business School / De Monfort University in the United Kingdom. He has been publishing regularly in prestigious international journals such as International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, Journal of International Business Education, and Journal of Teaching in International Business

What you'll learn

• Identify what problems can be solved by an idea or concept
• Define a value proposition for a new product and identify the unique selling point that can make it appealing to the market
• Conducting market research to understand market needs
• Creating a customer persona and estimating the total addressable market
• Defining the minimum viable product to test the market
• Proof the concept of the product before rolling out the business
• Designing a business model to commercialize your offer
• Identify the resources available and select those appropriate to support the business at the different stages of growth
• Identify the critical KPI’s to drive the growth of the business
• Appraise the alternatives to invest or not in the business

Requirements

No specific requirements.

Who this course is for

• Entrepreneurs planning to start or grow a business, particularly those selling to the end consumer
• Managers who want to understand better the implications of starting a new business project

Course content

4 weeks • 15 sections • 30 lectures • Total asynchronous time 22 hours, of which about 12 hours of gameplay (using the computer simulation) • Total synchronous time 4 hours

Support 24/7

Don't worry, you will not be left alone in your learning journey. Apart from the live sessions, our helpline to sort out any technical questions is available 24/7 during the access to the online simulation and until completion of the final assessment, so you will get all the help that you need.

Prove you're ready!

• Highlight the new, relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a digital micro-credential.
• Create a shareable certificate link for your CV and LinkedIn.
• Impress stakeholders with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
• Make your career dreams a reality.