Course Syllabus

Course title: ENTREPRENEURSHIP: BUILDING a SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

Course text: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Building a Successful Business by Jonathan T Scott, Management Education Services, USA, 2009

Tutor: Jonathan T. Scott

Hours: 30

Duration of course: 5 days (six hours per day)

Venue: Audencia Nantes School of Management

Teaching materials and methods: Lectures, case studies, discussions, one-on-one assessment, slides, and handouts

Purpose: To present the fundamentals of starting and operating a commercial enterprise

Stdent requirements: Regular attendance and note-taking

Grading: Final grades will be awarded based on an on-going class assignment designed to facilitate the background work needed to start and run a successful business.

DAY 1

1. Do you have what it takes?

  • Basic Psychology (the traits every entrepreneur needs)
  • The four major fears of starting a business
  • Defining success

    2. Starting a business: why and when should it be done

  • good and bad reasons for starting a business
  • the main reasons why businesses fail
  • the reasons why businesses succeed

    3. Finding a good busines idea

  • the self-questioning process
  • how stupid is a stupid idea?

    4. Beginning a business-probability Investigation

  • the objectives of market research
  • types of research conducive to entrepreneurship

    5. Meeting with students

  • going over the proposed business plans of the students enrolled in this course

    DAY 2

    1. The never-ending task of externl and internal research

  • six steps of external research
  • studying the internal workings of a business

    2. Choosing a location

  • the most popularlocations
  • leases
  • advice from succesful entrepreneurs

    3. Finding a manufacturer or supplier

  • beginning the search
  • selecting an overseas manufactuer or supplier
  • how to keep good manufacturers and suppliers

    4. The paradox of business models

  • sales volume vs profit margins
  • high prices vs low prices
  • less choice vs more choice
  • competition vs. cooperation

    5. Getting to know your product

  • the three levels of every product
  • understanding what customers want
  • the importance of service

    6. Meeting with students

    DAY 3

    1. The 13 reasons why businesses fail (and how to prevent them)

    2. Servicizing

  • adding a service element to your business

    3. A business plan template

    4. Meeting with students

    DAY 4

    1. Finding finance

  • available sources of funding and raising capital
  • why finding money is so hard

    2. Naming your business and getting started

  • names, logos, websites, bank accounts, etc...
  • time management

    3. Making the business legal

  • 5 different types of legal structures

    4. Protecting the business

  • copyrights
  • trademarks
  • patents
  • bar codes

    5. Selling

  • the art and science of selling
  • setting the stage for successful sales
  • mistakes to avoid when selling
  • closing a sale

    6. Meeting with students

    DAY 5

    1. Entrepreneurship and social responsibility

  • the benefits of benefitting others

    2. Cooperative networking

  • developing a fit with your competitors
  • ways to begin a cooperative business network

    3. Anouncing the arrival of your business

  • making preparations
  • the 10 and 30 second sales pitch
  • handling public relations
  • opening day

    4. The Future and what it holds for entrepreneurs

  • managing the new frontiers
  • legal implications
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