Module One: How to Start

You must fall in love with what you do because being an entrepreneur is a lot of hard work and overcoming a lot of adversity. From that love will come the dedication that will get you out of bed at 4 a.m. because of a great idea you just had and get you to work till 11 p.m. and not feel tired. - Ken Field

You look in the mirror and tell yourself you want to break into Entrepreneurship. Well, that's great, but it is no easy feature. You must take many steps to prepare yourself to embark on the journey, and once you have started your business, many more steps to maintain the business. This course is designed to give you the tools you need to start, run, and grow a business you can be proud of!

Items to help with groundwork

• If you need an opening or a way to introduce the participants to each other, utilize the Icebreakers folder to begin or between breaks during the day.
• Let participants know where they can find washrooms, break facilities, and fire exits.
• Ask participants to turn off their cell phones or at least turn them to vibrate. Then, if they must take a call, request that they do it outside.
• Take this time to encourage the group to ask questions and make this an interactive workshop.
• Write the words Respect, Confidentiality, and Practice on a flip chart paper and tape it to the wall. Then, explain to participants that to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that's how we learn!

The Parking Lot

Understand the concept of the Parking lot.

• The Parking Lot is a visible place where you will "park" ideas that arise which are not on the agenda and may be off-topic or are better addressed outside of the program.
• At the end of the session, we will review parked ideas and follow up or make suggestions for your investigation when you're walking in your purpose.

Workshop Objectives

Research has consistently demonstrated that when clear goals are associated with learning, it occurs more easily and rapidly. So, with that in mind, let's review our goals for today.

At the end of this course, you should be able to:

·       Understand how to start a business

·       Develop a business plan

·       Get financing for your business

·       Hire and train employees

·       Run your business

·       Grow your business

Lesson Summary

This course is designed to provide participants with the tools they need to start, run, and grow a business. They will learn how to:

• Develop a business plan
• Get financing for your business
• Hire and train employees
• Run and grow a business

The parking lot and respect-practice-confidentiality rules also help ensure an interactive workshop. Participants can also use icebreakers so get to know each other better. Through hard work, dedication and love for what you do, you can turn your dream of becoming an entrepreneur into a real business!