Global Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Reality

NEW COHORT
Starting October 22, 2018
at The George Washington University

Register Here (click here)

ICSB is proud to announce the launch of the Global Entrepreneurship Certificate Program to fulfill our mission of continuing management education with the goal to promote entrepreneurship. Our program is called ICSB Global and it constitutes state-of-the-art certificate programs. We are proud to announce the launch of the ICSB Global Certificate Program on“Global Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Reality”.

The ICSB Global Certificate Program on“Global Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Reality”. now offers a unique in- person and online educational hybrid instruction model where participants can join in-person at different ICSB dedicated events. Alternatively, participants can take all the modules online. Finally, participants can join in-person some sessions and then complete the remainder online.

Each ICSB Global certificate requires you complete three (3) mandatory modules followed by two (2) elective modules from the many provided. The ICSB Global certificate offers an invaluable experience of being able to interact with participants from across the globe and from a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge. ICSB brings over 60 years of knowledge to this certificate program.

Below is a detailed listing of the ICSB Global Entrepreneurship Certificate with all the modules described in detail.

 

CERTIFICATION

1. Entrepreneurial Thinking

Although in many ways a business is a business, there are fundamental differences between startups and established companies. Entrepreneurs are not different than other business people, they just have learned to think differently. This module will explore the various elements of entrepreneurial thinking.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. A Different View of Change
  3. Innovation: Entrepreneurial Strategy
  4. Entrepreneurial Thinking – A Different View of Risk
  5. The Purpose of Business
  6. Building an Entrepreneurial Culture
  7. Ethics in Entrepreneurial Firms
  8. Entrepreneur’s View of Debt and Equity Financing
  9. Budget versus Forecasts
  10. The Entrepreneur as CEO
  11. Entrepreneurial Leadership
  12. Conclusion

2. The Process of Entrepreneurship: Taking a Business from Idea to Launch

Successful entrepreneurs understand that entrepreneurship is a process that can be learned and improved upon with experience.  This moduleguides an aspiring entrepreneur through steps that will greatly increase their chance to successfully turning their idea into a successful business. This module provides an overview of the entrepreneurship process from idea to launch. This module covers critical questions every aspiring entrepreneur must ask.  What is entrepreneurship? Where do the best ideas for new businesses come from? How do I develop a business model? Why will my business model need to change? What is a business plan and what is it used for? How do I find funding for my new business?

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. Who is the Typical Entrepreneur?
  3. The Life Cycle of a Business
  4. The Process from Idea to Launch
  5. Risk
  6. Change and Chaos: The Entrepreneur’s Best Friend
  7. Assessing Ideas
  8. Market Feasibility
  9. Financial Feasibility
  10. Personal Feasibility
  11. What is a business model?
  12. Business Model: The Lean Canvas
  13. Customer Discovery
  14. The Power of the Pivot
  15. The Business Model Canvas
  16. Business Plans and Business Planning
  17. Financial Forecasting
  18. Realistic Funding Opportunities
  19. Bootstrapping
  20. Outside funding
  21. The Pitch
  22. Conclusion

3. Business Modeling

Building a strong business model is the key to improving the chance that a new business will have a successful launch and survive over the long-term. The business modeling process discussed in this moduleis a dynamic approach that helps the entrepreneur adapt and change their business model as new information is discovered from prospective customers.  This module includes discussion on idea modeling, the lean business model canvas (moving from an idea to a business concept), and the traditional business model canvas (moving from a concept to an operating business).

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. Why Build a Business Model?
  3. Three Stages of Business Modeling
  4. Idea Model: Is There a Market?
  5. Idea Model: Is this the Right Business for Me?
  6. Idea Model: Can it Make Money?
  7. The Foundation of a Business Model
  8. Customers with Problems to Solve
  9. Finding a Solution with Value
  10. Connecting with Customers
  11. Identifying Revenue Streams
  12. Estimating Cost Structure
  13. Creating Metrics for the Model
  14. Using the Lean Canvas to Identify Risks
  15. Testing the Business Model
  16. Pivoting the Business Model
  17. Types of Pivots
  18. From Customer Discovery to Execution
  19. The Traditional Business Model Canvas
  20. Transitioning from Business Model Canvas to Business Plan
  21. Summary

4. Getting Financing: Using the Business Plan to Get Funded

Change is a constant for any business. Business planning is the process used to navigate a business through the many forces for change. At certain points in time, most often associated with raising funding for a business, entrepreneurs need to write formal business plans for their ventures.  This module details the business planning process and the steps it takes to capture these plans in a formal business plan.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. What is a Business Plan?
  3. Uses of a Business Plan
  4. Business Planning Process
  5. Planning a Business to Meet Your Needs
  6. Understanding Your Industry
  7. Understanding Your Competition
  8. The Marketing Plan
  9. Revenue Forecast
  10. Operating Plan and Expense Forecast
  11. Validating Your Plan
  12. The Growth Plan
  13. Assumptions and Best Guesses
  14. The Financial Plan
  15. Scenarios
  16. Writing the Plan
  17. Pitching the Plan
  18. Summary

5. Solving the Money Puzzle: Financing a Business

Linking the right type of financing with its proper use is critical to success in raising money.  Bootstrapping is the process used by entrepreneurs to get the most out of the money they are able to secure for their businesses.  This module explores the various sources of both debt and equity financing available to small and medium businesses.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. Common Financing Myths
  3. Piecing Together the Financing Puzzle
  4. Self-financing: Always the First Step
  5. Friends and Family Financing
  6. Crowdfunding
  7. Strategic Partners
  8. Angel Investors
  9. Venture Capital
  10. Working with Investors
  11. Short-term Debt
  12. Long-term Debt
  13. SBA Loans
  14. Working with Bankers
  15. Non-traditional Lenders
  16. Summary

ELECTIVES

1. Startup Toolbox

There are several key steps an entrepreneur must go through to correctly and legally set up a new business.  This module covers all of the basic requirements for new businesses to get up and running. It answers questions about the “nuts and bolts” of getting a business launched that most entrepreneurship curricula overlook.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. Partners
  3. Naming Your Business
  4. Making Your Business “Legal”
  5. Finding and Hiring a Lawyer
  6. Letting the Government Know about Your Business
  7. Banking and Bankers
  8. Accountants and Taxes
  9. Insurance
  10. Employees
  11. Conclusion

2. Growing Revenues: Effective Marketing for Small Business

The fuel for growing a business is marketing. Effective marketing demands a comprehensive strategy that touches on much more than just selling and advertising.  This module covers all of the elements of marketing a business to attract new customers and retain existing customers. All of the elements are then brought together into an actionable marketing plan.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. The Marketing Mix
  3. Positioning Your Product
  4. Pricing Strategies
  5. Promotion
  6. Bootstrapping Promotion
  7. Digital Marketing
  8. Advertising
  9. Selling
  10. Distribution
  11. Market Entry Strategy
  12. Marketing Plans that Work
  13. Conclusion

3. Employees – From the First Hire to Building a Human Resource System

This module walks the learner through all the steps from hiring the first employee to building a human resource system to ensure the most effective approach in building a team. The module includes issues such as legal, managerial, cultural, and systems considerations for each step along the way.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. Building a Basic Human Resource System for Small Business
  3. What Flavor is Your Culture?
  4. Structure – Organizing Your Employees
  5. Hiring and Staffing Plans
  6. Employee Handbook
  7. Job Analysis: Understanding and documenting what your employees actually do in their jobs
  8. Job Description
  9. Interviewing Prospective Employees
  10. Legal Do’s and Don’ts When Interviewing Prospective Employees
  11. Personality Testing for Hiring
  12. Onboarding New Employees: Fitting in and Getting Productive
  13. Onboarding a New Employee: A Basic Check List
  14. Performance Review versus Continuous Coaching
  15. Underperforming Employees
  16. Firing Employees
  17. Conclusions

4. Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs

A common cause of failure among startups is the business owner running out of cash before the business has time to become successful. The interplay between the financial conditions of a business and the financial situation of the owner is something that many entrepreneurs fail to plan for when they launch a new business. This module explains how the finances of the business and its owner are intertwined, including cash flow and debt. We also explore ways in which an entrepreneur can more effectively manage the personal side of this financial equation to ensure that their business has the best chance for survival from startup through its maturity. Finally, we look at the paths entrepreneurs have available to build personal wealth.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. The Bootstrap Life
  3. Keeping Business Funds and Personal Funds Separate
  4. How Much and When Should You Pay Yourself?
  5. Runway and Emergency Funds
  6. The Three Buckets of Profits
  7. Good Debt, Bad Debt
  8. Keep Track of Your Credit
  9. Lines of Credit
  10. Building Wealth from Your Business
  11. Investing Beyond Your Business
  12. Benefit Programs: For You and Your Employees
  13. Finding and Working with a Tax Accountant
  14. Conclusion

5. Partners and Partnerships

Business partnerships are complex relationships that can be as difficult to navigate as a marriage. Many successful ventures end in failure, not from problems with their business models, but from deeply troubled relationships among their owners. This module walks through the challenges of establishing and sustaining successful business partnerships from their initial formation through establishing a successful business venture.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. Will You Make Good Partners?
  3. Dividing Ownership
  4. Partner Salaries and Bonuses
  5. Partner Decision Making
  6. Partner Meetings
  7. Partner Accountability
  8. Partners at an Impasse
  9. Sweat Equity
  10. Pass Through Entities
  11. Going into Business with Your Spouse
  12. Going into Business with Your Children
  13. Equity Investors as Partners
  14. Conclusion

6. Exiting a Business

The ultimate goal for most entrepreneurs is to build a business that will someday allow them to exit the business and capture the value that they have built in their company. This module explains the process of planning for an eventual exit and how to prepare for the exit. Because there are many different types of exits, this module also explains the various options on how to exit a business and discusses their advantages and disadvantages.

Module Outline
  1. Introduction
  2. Exit Planning
  3. Preparing to Exit
  4. Valuation of a Business
  5. Three Types of Exits
  6. Mergers
  7. IPO
  8. Strategic Partners
  9. ESOP
  10. Family Business Transfer
  11. Liquidation
  12. Asset Purchase
  13. Stock Purchase
  14. The Exit Process
  15. Conclusion

RUNTIMES

Certification Core Modules

  1. Entrepreneurial Thinking – Run time: 1 hour, 24 minutes
  2. The Process of Entrepreneurship: Taking a Business from Idea to Launch – Run time: 2 hours, 12 minutes
  3. Business Modeling – Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
  4. Getting Financing: Using the Business Plan to Get Funded – Run time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
  5. Solving the Money Puzzle: Financing a Business – Run time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

TOTAL Run Time Certification Core Modules: 8 hours, 43 minutes

Elective Modules

  1. Startup Toolbox – Run time: 1 hour, 26 minutes
  2. Growing Revenues: Effective Marketing for Small Business – Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
  3. Employees – From the First Hire to Building a Human Resource System – Run time: 1 hour, 43 minutes
  4. Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs – Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
  5. Partners and Partnerships – Run time: 1 hour, 12 minutes
  6. Exiting a Business – Run time: 1 hour, 6 minutes

TOTAL Run Time Elective Modules: 8 hours, 44 minutes

TOTAL Run Time All Modules: 17 hours, 27 min

Contact:

ICSB Global Program Director: Dr. Tony Mendes (email: mendesa@umkc.edu)
ICSB Global Program Assistant: Ms. Jordyn Murphy (email: jordyn@icsb.org) or tel: 202-994-0704
ICSB Executive Director: Dr. Ayman El Tarabishy (email: aymanelt@icsb.org) or tel: 202-468-3133