Entrepreneurship: Start-Up And Business Owner Management

(360 hours)

Course Overview/Description

Interested in starting, owning and operating a business? The Entrepreneurship: Start-Up and Business Owner Management program provides an excellent foundation for not just the start-up business owner, but also the business owner or manager who wants to gain a further understanding of some of the essential principles associated with owning and operating a start-up or on-going business. The program includes Business Plan Development, Positioning For and Finding Financing, Legal Issues in Operations, as well as Buying and Selling a Business. You will grow in your understanding of financial and accounting terms, gain confidence and improve your communication skills, as well as explore some of the topics of running a business in accord with legal requirements. It’s never been easier to get your own business up and running!

Course Objectives

By completing the Entrepreneurship: Start-Up and Business Owner Management course, students will:
• Know the various types of financing from venture capital to traditional financing source
• Gain confidence and improve their communication skills.
• Develop a successful leadership style.
• Understand some of the more important topics in running the operations of a business in accord with legal requirements.
• Learn the essentials of creating and developing a successful business plan that can be used for both internal strategic management and external positioning for financing
• Explore the developmental process, and how to be successful in effectuating change

Course Outline

I. Essentials of Business Ownership
a) Introduction and Overview
b) Starting a Business
c) Finding a Niche/Differentiation
d) Leadership Styles and Corporate Culture
e) Taxes
f) Financing
g) Legal and Regulatory Issues
h) Conclusion

II. Financial/Accounting Management
a) Introduction and Overview
b) Importance of Financial Statements
c) The Balance Sheet
d) The Income Statement
e) Statement of Cash Flows
f) Financial Ratios
g) Conclusion

III. Marketing Management
a) Introduction and Overview
b) Marketing Goals
c) The Marketing Plan
d) The Marketing Mix
e) The Marketing Budget
f) Marketing Implementation
g) Technology and Marketing
h) Summary

IV. Strategic Management in Operations
a) Introduction and Overview
b) Definitions and Business Models
c) Categories of Strategies
d) Strategic Planning Models
e) Creating Strategic Alternatives
f) Implementation
g) Conclusion

V. Positioning For and Finding Financing
a) Introduction
b) Positioning
c) Positioning the Owner and the Entity
d) Finding Financing
e) Debt vs. Equity
f) Factors to Consider and Terminology
g) Summary

VI. Persuasive Communication
a) Introduction
b) Fundamentals of Communication
c) Knowing the Audience
d) The Power of Listening
e) Credibility of the Speaker
f) Evidence in Persuasion
g) Emotion in Persuasion
h) Organizing the Argument
i) Summary

VII. Organizational Leadership and Decision-Making
a) Introduction and Overview
b) What is a Leader
c) Sources of Power in Leadership
d) Leadership Theories
e) Transformational Leaders
f) Decision-Making and Empowerment
g) Accountability
h) Summary

VIII. Legal Issues in Operations
a) Introduction
b) Sources of Law
c) Agency and Employment Law
d) Torts Law
e) Sales and Products Liability
f) Intellectual Property
g) Ethics
h) Summary

IX. Business Plan Development
a) Introduction and Overview
b) Definition of a Business Plan
c) Development of a Business Plan
d) Sections of a Business Plan
e) Financial Projections
f) Common Mistakes
g) Summary

X. Understanding Financial Statements
a) Introduction
b) Positioning
c) Positioning the Owner and the Entity
d) Finding Financing
e) Debt vs. Equity
f) Factors to Consider and Terminology
g) Summary

XI. Organizational Development and Change
a) Introduction and Overview
b) The Culture of an Organization
c) Types of Culture
d) Organizational Change
e) The Human Side of Change and Resistance
f) Summary

XII. Principles of Buying and Selling a Business
a) Introduction and Overview
b) Business Brokers
c) Preparing for Sale/Purchase
d) Key Steps in Preparation
e) Corporate Culture
f) Purchase Price
g) Summary/Conclusion

Prerequisites/Audience

Students should have basic keyboarding and computer skills, and be comfortable navigating the internet. They must also have an understanding of a word-processing computer program (Microsoft Word recommended), and have emailing capabilities as well.

This program is intended for anyone interested in developing their non-profit management skills.

PC Requirements/Materials Included

This course must be taken from a PC. There are no specific computer requirements other than an Internet connection (Broadband Internet connection is highly recommended). In addition you will need to have Internet Explorer, Adobe Reader, Flash Plug-in and a QuickTime plug-in on your computer (all available through free downloads).

GES will provide the following required textbooks for this course:
• Successful Business Planning for Entrepreneurs
• Harvard Business Essentials: Power, Influence and Persuasion
• Strategic Planning
• How to Read a Financial Report

The following textbooks are NOT required for this program, but are recommended by the instructor. GES does NOT provide these books:
• Selling your Business: How to Attract Buyer and Achieve the Maximum Value for your Business by Russell Robb
• Managing by the Numbers by Kremer, Rizzuto & Case

Instructor Bio

Katherine Squires Pang, J.D., LL.M., M.Ed Founder/President and Chief Knowledge Officer, EdWay Online

Dr. Pang received her B.A. in 1980 from Clark University, her J.D. from the University of Dayton Law School in 1982, her LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University Law School in 1983 and her M.Ed from the University of Texas in 2001. She has practiced law with national law firms since 1983, ran for the United States Senate in California in 1994 and was appointed by Governor Wilson as a Commissioner to the WCAB from 1994 to 1996. Dr. Pang has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Management at the University of Texas, Dallas and has been an adjunct faculty member in the law and business/ schools of many universities including the Stern School of Business at New York University, Pepperdine University, USC, Golden Gate University and the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Pang has not only over 20 years of law firm experience but in 1989 founded several companies including, LawPrep, Inc./ LawPrep Press, Inc., Legal EdNet.com and EdWay Online. From 1989 to 1996 Dr. Pang authored over six books, videos and interactive CD-ROMs. Dr. Pang was also the Manager, Firmwide Practice Section Development, Training and Forms for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. Dr. Pang also has experience providing multimedia, interactive distributed learning to working professions, as well as adult learners in law and business, via a variety of technologies including video streaming and on line-conferencing (Webcasts, synchronous and asynchronous threaded discussion boards and chat rooms) via the Internet, satellite, ISDN-based videoconferencing an CD-ROM. Dr. Pang has been a speaker at the MEC 2001 Conference: Turning a New Page in Educational Technologies sponsored by Arizona State University, the 2001 Conference on Training and Knowledge Management: Moving Beyond Training sponsored by Generation 21 Learning Management Systems and a speaker at various other e-learning conferences. She has design, development, implementation and managerial experience in educational multimedia course design and development including experience with instructional design and educational technologies. She has been responsible for the course design and delivery using Macromedia Director, Windows Media Player, FrontPage, PowerPoint, Blackboard, Prometheus, WebCT, Webboard and a host of other proprietary platforms. She also has experience with digital video, MPEG, MOV and AVI Files.

Katrina McBride
Katrina McBride’s career reflects extensive experience in organizational leadership, marketing strategies, and market development in multi-national corporate environments and as an independent consultant. Her leadership abilities have been utilized by employers and clients to develop new programs and functional areas and in the re-organization of resources with aggressive deadlines. She has positively impacted revenue and customer satisfaction for large, global organizations as well as small to mid-sized businesses that are experiencing changes due to rapid growth or restructuring to maintain their competitive position.

In director level positions for Nortel Networks, Katrina was engaged to develop, define, and implement strategies for competitive intelligence, sales support, emerging markets, lead generation, and customer relationship management. Sought after as trainer, speaker, and facilitator, Katrina develops and presents professional education courses in leadership development, team strategies, strategic marketing, organizational leadership, and change planning.

She is an active member of the American Marketing Association, the American Management Association, Society for Human Resources Management, the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, and served on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Katrina holds a MA in organizational management and a BS in psychology and an as well as certifications in mid-management/leadership and marketing. She is a trained dispute mediator.

Kelley Burgess
With a bachelor’s degree in Paralegal Studies from the University of Maryland, Kelley started her career as a legal assistant in law firms in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and finally Texas. After serving as a college speech tournament judge on the side for three years, Kelley switched to a teaching career in communications. She became a certified educator in Texas and spent five years teaching speech, debate and mediation at the high school level being named in the Who’s Who of America's Best Teachers in 2003, 2004 and 2005. She now freelances as a public speaking coach and is the author and presenter of the half day seminar "Serving with Maximum Effectiveness" (a seminar specifically tailored for ministers). She travels to various states across the U.S. assisting ministers in their public speaking skills. Kelley Burgess resides in Carrollton, Texas with her husband, Tom, where they are joyfully anticipating the arrival of their first child.

Karen Thompson
Karen Thompson graduated from USL in Lafayette, LA in 1983 with a BSBA in Economics. She is currently the Vice President of Amegy Bank - Government Guaranteed Lending. Most of her career has been in the banking and finance industry with the exception of a six year “very educational” period during which she helped manage a small business.

Her education, work experience, hands on business management, and passion for helping small business owners led to her current position with Amegy Bank as an SBA loan officer. She is also the recipient of the 2007 Financial Services Champion of the Year awarded by the U.S. Small Business Administration - Dallas/Fort Worth District Office.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I register?
Click on the register button at the top of the page and follow the directions. It is important that you type all your information in the boxes, then print it out to sign.  Payment and sending instructions are in the bottom right corner of the form.

2. How much do the courses cost?
The fee is in the pink box at the top of the page.

3. Can I register for courses if I live outside the United States?
Yes you can!

4. Do I ever have go to the school I register with?
All of our courses are delivered entirely online, so you never have to go to a class or travel to the school.

5. How long does it take to complete a course?
All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. When you register for a course, you are given 180 days (6 months) to complete the course. If you need more time, extensions are available.

6. Do I have to buy additional materials?
All materials are included. The cost of materials is covered by your tuition. GES ships all materials via UPS ground service upon registration.

7. Can I get financial aid?
GES courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses.

• GES provides a loan opportunity for students. Simply go to www.collegeloanapplication.com to apply for an easier qualifying loan at a slightly higher rate. Click here for more information on this loan program.

8. What happens when I complete the course?
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from the school with which you registered. You must obtain a final passing grade of 70% or greater to be awarded a certificate.

9. Am I guaranteed a job?
GES courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We do not provide direct job placement services, but our instructors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Instructors will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the course. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

10. Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via email or phone) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.

11. What do I have to have in order to take an online course, and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the course contents from any Web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the course every time. We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.

12. Can this course be taken on a Mac?
Yes

13. How can I get more information on the course?
All of the information we have is available online under our course catalog (www.gatlineducation.com). If you have questions that are not answered online, please feel free to email us at courseinfo@gatlineducation.com or call 817-870-2870. We will answer your questions promptly.

14. When can I start the course?
Our courses are all open enrollment. You can register and start the course as soon as you are ready.