Short Course- Small Business Startup

Negate the risks- learn how to start a business that will be successful!

The Business Start Up short course will provide you a learning experience that can help you start your own business. Based on hands on knowledge and experience, this short course takes the learner each step that is involved in starting and planning for a business. Eliminate risks and understand the functions that a new business will need in order to become successful (whether it is a small business or large organisation).

This self-guided course allows you to work through the course at your own pace. There are no deadlines or cut off periods. There are many optional activities that will not only extend your learning experience, but will be relevant to you, the industry that you are wanting to enter and will also see you doing practical activities that can help you establish a business.

Course Lessons:

LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION - A REALITY CHECK

• Businesses don’t need to fail
• Getting a product that is saleable
• Establishing management systems
• Finding potential customers
• Selling to potential customers
• Delivering the product
• Know your strengths
• Types of Businesses

LESSON 2 THE PRODUCT OR SERVICE

• Passion is not enough
• Consider your options
• Scale of Business
• What you might sell
• Supply and demand
• Understanding change
• Developing ideas for businesses
• Primary industries
• Manufacturing
• Professional services
• Future growth areas
• Time saver services and products

LESSON 3 SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING A BUSINESS

• Cost of systems
• Compliance and procedures
• Business systems
• Total quality management (tqm)
• Innovation management
• Information technology
• Staff management
• Employee induction
• Performance management
• Financial management
• The simplest approach
• Planning in business
• Creating a strategic plan
• Risk
• Strategy formation and implementation

LESSON 4 HOW TO FIND POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

• How can you become visible?
• Technology
• Media
• Trends
• How to attract attention
• Target marketing - strategies, market segmentation, etc.
• Competition
• Market research
• The marketing mix

LESSON 5 HOW TO MAKE A SALE

• What makes a good salesperson
• Who is the customer
• Making a decision
• Rational decisions
• Heuristic procedures
• Decision making processes
• Selling online

LESSON 6 DELIVERING A PRODUCT OR SERVICE

• Presentation and packaging
• Ways of delivering products and services
• Virtual consulting
• Virtual education
• Mail order retailing
• Selling downloads
• Customer satisfaction

LESSON 7 PITFALLS TO AVOID / RULES TO FOLLOW

• Managing money
• Keeping cash flowing
• Persistence
• Doing market research
• Keeping up with change
• Sales focus
• Being different
• Niche products and services
• Business coaching

FINAL EXAM

How does this course work?

• This is a self-guided course- you work through the course at your own time.
• Enrol any time. Your enrolment will be processed during business hours within a few hours.
• After your enrolment has been processed, you will receive an email explaining the course and how to access to the study guide, and our help desk. The guide contains both an audio and written explanation of how the course can be studied.
• Follow the study guide, read and undertake different learning tasks to broaden and deepen your understanding of the subject. These tasks can vary from practicals to research and more. You can select to do as many or as little as you like.
• If and when you need to; you can contact our academic staff via a help desk. Emails are answered during business hours.
• At the end of each lesson, you are presented with a series of automated self assessment questions, to review and reinforce your learning experience.
• Once you have completed all of the lessons, you are presented with a major online exam comprising lots of questions. The exam is assessed in our online training system once it has been submitted. If you achieve a result of 60% or more, you are given access to download a “Certificate of Completion” with your name, together with the current date and name of this short course.
• Everything is automatic, but if you do need help at any point along your journey of discovery there is a help desk, with real people who have real expertise –only an email away to help you out.

Example Pages from the Study Guide