Welcome to The Entrepreneur Experience programme
Warm-up Orientation Session
The week before the programme begins there will be a warm-up orientation session where you will have a chance to meet the other entrepreneurs in this cohort and Mark and Jonathan, the programme leaders.
In our warm-up sessions we use the Basadur Profile, where we look at how you approach problem solving and innovation and how that understanding will enable you to have better conversations with your peers and partners and help you build stronger, more dynamic teams.
Programme Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Programme you will be able to:
- Evaluate the opportunity for your business idea and determine the ideal business model required to bring the idea to market
- Identify your ideal target audience and develop a top-level marketing and communications strategy to launch your new product or service
- Evaluate and put together your early stage management team and grow your network
- Understand the key issues to be aware of when setting up your business in the UK and the roles and responsibilities for business owners
- Gain a solid understanding of financial management for your business
- Learn the different ways to raise finance for your venture and how to negotiate with investors
- Master the techniques of creating a successful pitch and secure investment
- Apply your learning to real world situations through work experience
Core 8 Modules
Orientation – Programme Introduction- Meet the lead instructors of the programme and other cohort members.
- Learn how to navigate the online tools and platform and access course resources.
- Complete the Basadur profile, a unique tool that looks at how you approach problem solving and innovation.
Learn how to evaluate your business idea and bring it to market.
- Develop a high-level strategy for your business and the ideal business model
- Beat the competitors who are playing in your chosen space
- Identify your value proposition and the activities required to deliver it
- Use a business canvas to innovate and pivot your business model
Developing a top-level marketing strategy is critical to success.
In Module 2 we introduce you to the tools to help you identify your ideal target audience and bring them to life as realistically as possible and then decide on the most powerful messages and channels to use as you move them through the sales funnel.
You’ll learn how to:
- Understand the importance of segmentation, targeting and positioning
- Identify and understand your users’ needs, experiences, behaviours and goals
- Create reliable and realistic representations of your key audience segments using the Customer Empathy Canvas
- Plan the optimum messaging and channels to deliver those messages to bring your target customer through the sales funnel from being unaware of your product or service to loyal advocates
- Understand how to nurture the customer experience by mapping the customer experience across different channels using the Customer Journey Canvas.
People are the most important asset and it all starts with you, the founder. Knowing yourself or self-awareness is the foundation of being a great entrepreneur. In this module we will cover:
- Understand the importance of managing your energy and where your deficits lie
- Learn the fundamentals of the Johari Window– the tool that helps you better understand your relationship with yourself and others
- Overview of the YouTar Canvas – the self-awareness framework which will help discover what you need to know about yourself to succeed
- Gain insights into how to find your purpose and understand how purpose is an accelerator which fuels success and growth
- Discover what aptitudes and motivations are correlated to startup and scale up success and how well matched you are against those benchmarks
- Overview of the Fingerprint for Success benchmarking and coaching tool
- Appreciation of how well set you are for the startup and scale up journey through the debrief of your Fingerprint for Success results
- Kick-start your unique personal and professional development action plan.
Who you work with is potentially going to have more of an effect on your business than any other decision. As such, the best way to maximise the chances of getting those ‘who’ decisions right, is to think consciously about it and create systems/processes to support you.
In this module we’ll help you:
- Gain insight into the characteristics of what makes a high-performing team
- Reflect on the capabilities, skills, mindsets and experience you should consider for potential team members at the start-up and early-stage phases of the business.
- Learn about common problems with hiring and gain an understanding of a hiring methodology.
The UK encompasses a highly regulated environment and there are key issues you should be aware of. With respect to living and setting up a business in the United Kingdom, we’ll cover:
- Personal tax and related areas
- Business affairs, including setting-up a limited company in the UK, compliance requirements and the details on various business taxes
- Effective financial management of a company and business, including financial statements, business plans, budgeting & forecasting and related matters
Learn the roles and responsibilities of business owners when starting a new firm, what regulatory standards they must meet, and other legal issues:
- Company formation, including types of business,registration and issuing shares
- Directors’ and shareholders’ roles and responsibilities
- Company Management
- Key Agreements
- Protecting IP
- Regulatory & Compliance
Learn the different ways to raise finance for your venture, when to do this, what documentation is required and how to ensure you are well prepared to negotiate effectively with a potential investor
- The different types of investment
- Traditional sources of financing
- Alternative sources of financing: overdrafts and loans, angels, business grants etc.
- Investor terminology and key documents: due diligence, terms sheets etc.
- Finance rounds: seed, growth, A-E, preparing for exit
Learn the different ways to raise finance for your venture, when to do this, what documentation is required and how to ensure you are well prepared to negotiate effectively with a potential investor
- The different types of investment
- Traditional sources of financing
- Alternative sources of financing: overdrafts and loans, angels, business grants etc.
- Investor terminology and key documents: due diligence, terms sheets etc.
- Finance rounds: seed, growth, A-E, preparing for exit
Learning Times
This programme consists of 8 core modules (excluding the Orientation session). In each module, you will be asked to complete a variety of activities. These range from reading and watching module resources, completing assignments, and interacting with the community.
You are expected as a requirement of the course to attend all the live sessions for each module. These take place as follows:
Every Monday 9.30am-12.00pm GMT
Every Wednesday 10.00am-11.00am GMT
These take place by zoom, you can find the zoom links for each lesson under the live presentation section as well as our weekly email that is circulated every Friday. If for any reason you are unable to attend the live session there will be a recording available for you to watch back.
You will be required to submit the weekly assignment to complete the programme successfully. Assignments should be submitted through the platform by the following Monday.
As a guide, each module is estimated to take between 5-7 hours per week.
Progamme Pass Requirements
If you are taking The Entrepreneur Experience as a standalone course you will need to cover at least 75% of the programme to pass the course. There is no grading system/distinction between levels above a pass.
A certificate of completion will be issued in your name upon successfully completing the course if you have met all the requirements.
Technical Requirements
Access to programme content is flexible and available through multiple devices, allowing participants to easily manage schedules and learn remotely. Programme modules include a variety of teaching instruments such as:
- Live online workshops
- Online resources
- Peer and mentor discussion boards
- Assignments
- Surveys
Programme Requirements
To access the programme you will need the following:
- Valid email address
- Computing device connected to the internet: PC/laptop, tablet or smartphone
- A copy of zoom installed and a compatible camera/microphone
- The latest version of your preferred browser to access the platform
- Microsoft Office and PDF viewer to access content such as documents, spreadsheets, presentation and PDF files
There are no requirements for participants to be in the UK as the entire programme is deliverable online.
