Learn, Become More Aware, and Reduce Your Risk when you Start a Business

Most estimates suggest that between 70 and 90% of start-ups fail. The reasons for this are varied but there are steps you can take to limit the risk of failure.

Probably top of the list is ensuring you have a product or service which people actually want. From there, you need to work dutifully on your business - managing, marketing, and selling. It may sound simple but there are many mistakes people make. Take this short course to improve your chances of creating a successful start-up, and setting out a plan to keep your business going and growing into the future.  

How Long Does the Course Take?

20 hours; but if you want to go deeper, you are able to. Complete it in a weekend if you wish; or spread it out over weeks or much longer. That's your choice. Once you enrol, you can study when you want, for as little or as long as you want, taking as long as you choose between study sessions

Support and Feedback

Self Assessment Tests are found throughout the course, where you will be asked questions and our course delivery system will give you immediate feedback.

A help desk is provided. Any questions or enquiries will be answered within one working day. Outside of weekends; often faster.

Lessons

There are Six 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

• 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

Qualification at the End

After completing the lessons, you are presented with a major online exam; testing you on the content of the entire course.

You can attempt this whenever you feel ready; and upon getting 60% of the answers (or more) correct you are awarded with a "Certificate of Completion" bearing your name and the date, which can be downloaded as a pdf, saved and/or printed off.

A SIMPLE FOUR STEP BUSINESS PLAN

1. Choose the best low risk, inexpensive start up idea.
2. Set a start up budget you can afford.
3. Implement and don't spend more than your budget until you have cash flowing.
4. Don't take any money from the business, and only reinvest what you take until the business takes off

If you plan to invest $5,000 in a business, it may be better to invest a $1,000 once or twice and fail; learn from your mistakes; then invest $1,000 again and succeed.

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.

Who is this course for?

• Anyone starting a micro business who has little or limited prior business experience.
• Anyone wanting to fast track their understanding of the most important aspects of business; and reduce the risk of failure
• Unemployed people and career changers
• Anyone wanting to supplement their income with a second income stream
• Anyone looking to enter the gig economy and create more flexibility in their working life