NxLeveL for Business Startups Course (Irvine #3614, Facilitated by VentureLinx)

NxLeveL for Business Startups is a 10-session, 30-hour course that addresses the questions every entrepreneur needs to answer before starting a business venture.
This Course will meet every Monday and Wednesday from 6PM to 9PM starting on June 25th, 2012. The last class will be on July 25th, 2012. 
Since 1994, NxLeveL has helped entrepreneurs launch and grow thriving small businesses. NxLeveL is the nation’s largest and most effective entrepreneurial training network, with more than 300,000 graduates.… Show more
NxLeveL offers a practical, hands-on approach to preparing a business plan. Participants learn from certified instructors, expert guest speakers, and finance, marketing, and banking professionals. They also learn by working collaboratively and sharing ideas with other participants.
NxLeveL comprises a dedicated group of professional authors, marketers and training professionals with decades of expertise in small-business education and development. In addition, we are experts in the field of adult education, with curricula rooted in adult learning characteristics, preferences and collaborative techniques.
With regard to business startups, 40 percent of course participants began a business within one year of completing the course. Another 20 percent continued to work on developing their business concept. When surveyed after three years,  more than 93 percent of the businesses were still in operation, whereas the national average is a mere 16.5 percent for the same time period. The survey also showed that the majority of NxLeveL participants used the business plan they created during the course to obtain business financing.
Course Outline:
Session One  
Understand the course curriculum and expectations
Recognize the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs
Understand the elements of the NxLeveL Start-Up Business Plan
Develop goals, objectives, and a mission statement
Experience networking with class participants
Session Two
Recognize the importance of the customer
Understand key differences between manufacturing, service, and retail businesses
Identify sources of ideas for business opportunities
Begin to develop and define a formal business concept
Network with other entrepreneurs and guest speakers
Session Three
Understand the benefits and challenges of starting a business
Explore the pros and cons of start-up options, including creating or buying a business, franchising, and joining a family business
Gain a basic understanding of the business research process
Begin research on industries and the business concept
Session Four
Explore individual start-up options and special circumstances within a selected industry and business type
Consider green business opportunities and trends
Be prepared to write an informative product / service description for your business idea
Session Five
Understand how to select the right legal structure
Become aware of legal issues facing small businesses, and where to find help
Understand business insurance, continuity planning, and other risk management needs, and weigh options
Identify internal and external management team members
Understand the importance of improving team-building, motivation, and management skills
Understand the pros and cons of outsourcing
Session Six
Become familiar with basic marketing vocabulary
Understand the steps involved in marketing
Understand the importance and relevance of market analysis
Identify direct, indirect, and future competition
Analyze the customer using demographics and psychographics
Session Seven
Become familiar with the Four Ps of marketing and their relationship to marketing strategy
Gain knowledge of pricing and promotional methods
Understand key elements of online sales and marketing
Begin to focus on marketing strategies as they relate to your specific products and services
Session Eight
Understand how accounting and financial matters relate to daily business operations
Identify and plan for start-up expenses
Develop sales forecasts, expense budgets, and assumptions
Assemble financial data and prepare a one-year monthly cash flow projection
Calculate the Break-Even Point in units and dollars
Session Nine
Examine fixed assets and depreciation
Distinguish between debt and equity financing
Prepare a summary of proposed financial needs
Understand the documentation requirements for obtaining financing
Write a conclusion and feasibility statement for the business idea
Session 10
Understand the basics of making and managing deals
Familiarity with supply chains and inventory issues
Understand the value of energy efficiency and pollution prevention strategies
Understand the next steps for proceeding with the business plan
Evaluate the NxLeveL learning experience

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