
Global Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Reality
NEW COHORT
Coming soon….
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
- Introduction
- A Different View of Change
- Innovation: Entrepreneurial Strategy
- Entrepreneurial Thinking – A Different View of Risk
- The Purpose of Business
- Building an Entrepreneurial Culture
- Ethics in Entrepreneurial Firms
- Entrepreneur’s View of Debt and Equity Financing
- Budget versus Forecasts
- The Entrepreneur as CEO
- Entrepreneurial Leadership
- 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
- Introduction
- Who is the Typical Entrepreneur?
- The Life Cycle of a Business
- The Process from Idea to Launch
- Risk
- Change and Chaos: The Entrepreneur’s Best Friend
- Assessing Ideas
- Market Feasibility
- Financial Feasibility
- Personal Feasibility
- What is a business model?
- Business Model: The Lean Canvas
- Customer Discovery
- The Power of the Pivot
- The Business Model Canvas
- Business Plans and Business Planning
- Financial Forecasting
- Realistic Funding Opportunities
- Bootstrapping
- Outside funding
- The Pitch
- 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
- Introduction
- Why Build a Business Model?
- Three Stages of Business Modeling
- Idea Model: Is There a Market?
- Idea Model: Is this the Right Business for Me?
- Idea Model: Can it Make Money?
- The Foundation of a Business Model
- Customers with Problems to Solve
- Finding a Solution with Value
- Connecting with Customers
- Identifying Revenue Streams
- Estimating Cost Structure
- Creating Metrics for the Model
- Using the Lean Canvas to Identify Risks
- Testing the Business Model
- Pivoting the Business Model
- Types of Pivots
- From Customer Discovery to Execution
- The Traditional Business Model Canvas
- Transitioning from Business Model Canvas to Business Plan
- 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
- Introduction
- What is a Business Plan?
- Uses of a Business Plan
- Business Planning Process
- Planning a Business to Meet Your Needs
- Understanding Your Industry
- Understanding Your Competition
- The Marketing Plan
- Revenue Forecast
- Operating Plan and Expense Forecast
- Validating Your Plan
- The Growth Plan
- Assumptions and Best Guesses
- The Financial Plan
- Scenarios
- Writing the Plan
- Pitching the Plan
- 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
- Introduction
- Common Financing Myths
- Piecing Together the Financing Puzzle
- Self-financing: Always the First Step
- Friends and Family Financing
- Crowdfunding
- Strategic Partners
- Angel Investors
- Venture Capital
- Working with Investors
- Short-term Debt
- Long-term Debt
- SBA Loans
- Working with Bankers
- Non-traditional Lenders
- 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
- Introduction
- Partners
- Naming Your Business
- Making Your Business “Legal”
- Finding and Hiring a Lawyer
- Letting the Government Know about Your Business
- Banking and Bankers
- Accountants and Taxes
- Insurance
- Employees
- 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
- Introduction
- The Marketing Mix
- Positioning Your Product
- Pricing Strategies
- Promotion
- Bootstrapping Promotion
- Digital Marketing
- Advertising
- Selling
- Distribution
- Market Entry Strategy
- Marketing Plans that Work
- 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
- Introduction
- Building a Basic Human Resource System for Small Business
- What Flavor is Your Culture?
- Structure – Organizing Your Employees
- Hiring and Staffing Plans
- Employee Handbook
- Job Analysis: Understanding and documenting what your employees actually do in their jobs
- Job Description
- Interviewing Prospective Employees
- Legal Do’s and Don’ts When Interviewing Prospective Employees
- Personality Testing for Hiring
- Onboarding New Employees: Fitting in and Getting Productive
- Onboarding a New Employee: A Basic Check List
- Performance Review versus Continuous Coaching
- Underperforming Employees
- Firing Employees
- 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
- Introduction
- The Bootstrap Life
- Keeping Business Funds and Personal Funds Separate
- How Much and When Should You Pay Yourself?
- Runway and Emergency Funds
- The Three Buckets of Profits
- Good Debt, Bad Debt
- Keep Track of Your Credit
- Lines of Credit
- Building Wealth from Your Business
- Investing Beyond Your Business
- Benefit Programs: For You and Your Employees
- Finding and Working with a Tax Accountant
- 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
- Introduction
- Will You Make Good Partners?
- Dividing Ownership
- Partner Salaries and Bonuses
- Partner Decision Making
- Partner Meetings
- Partner Accountability
- Partners at an Impasse
- Sweat Equity
- Pass Through Entities
- Going into Business with Your Spouse
- Going into Business with Your Children
- Equity Investors as Partners
- 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
- Introduction
- Exit Planning
- Preparing to Exit
- Valuation of a Business
- Three Types of Exits
- Mergers
- IPO
- Strategic Partners
- ESOP
- Family Business Transfer
- Liquidation
- Asset Purchase
- Stock Purchase
- The Exit Process
- Conclusion
RUNTIMES
Certification Core Modules
- Entrepreneurial Thinking – Run time: 1 hour, 24 minutes
- The Process of Entrepreneurship: Taking a Business from Idea to Launch – Run time: 2 hours, 12 minutes
- Business Modeling – Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes
- Getting Financing: Using the Business Plan to Get Funded – Run time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- 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
- Startup Toolbox – Run time: 1 hour, 26 minutes
- Growing Revenues: Effective Marketing for Small Business – Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes
- Employees – From the First Hire to Building a Human Resource System – Run time: 1 hour, 43 minutes
- Personal Finance for Entrepreneurs – Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
- Partners and Partnerships – Run time: 1 hour, 12 minutes
- 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