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Learn MoreHow to Start a Business
Rating: 4.1 out of 54.1(77 ratings)
1,072 students
How to Start a Business
The most comprehensive online course for starting and growing your own business.
Created byBplans School of Business, Tim Berry
Last updated 9/2015
English
What you'll learn
- What it means to be an entrepreneur
- The basics you need to succeed in business
- The starting cost you will need for your business
- To understand your target market and how best to identify them
- How to create a successful marketing strategy and reach your customers
- The best ways to present your business to investors
- What you should include in your business plan to secure funding
- The benefits and costs associated with having an online presence
- How to build the best team to run your business
- What your break-even point is and how you reach that point
- How to handle the financials of your business, like estimating sales, the difference between cash and profits, and more.
Explore related topics
Course content
14 sections • 104 lectures • 8h 12m total length
- Course Overview1:23OBJECTIVES In this course you will learn the key elements to starting and running a business. These include: Who is your ideal customer? What traits best describe your potential customers? What is the best way to reach your potential customers? What are your starting costs and other starting needs?…
- Video: Course Objectives4:12
Tim introduces what will be covered in the course.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Video Lecture: Introducing Tim Berry4:53
Tim introduces himself and explains his background in entrepreneurship.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Course Syllabus3:05This page provides a brief description of each session and what information will be covered during class. Chapter 2: What is Entrepreneurship? The first session of the course provides an overview of entrepreneurship and the basics of starting a business. The key elements that will be addressed in th…
- Course Materials2:44Glossary of Terms There's a full glossary in the Optional Downloads section with definitions for common business terms used throughout the course. This can be found at: http://www.udemy.com/lectures/glossary-of-terms-51159.html Assignments There are five key lessons that you will complete during th…
- Objectives0:50This chapter provides an overview of entrepreneurship and the basics of starting a business. The key elements that will be addressed here are defined: What is an entrepreneur? What needs is your business going to fill? What do YOU bring to the equation? What does your business plan look like? How ar…
- Entrepreneurship Overview, Part 16:55
Part 1 of a three part series on Entrepreneurship.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Entrepreneurship Overview, Part 28:11
Part 2 of a three part series on Entrepreneurship.
- Entrepreneurship Overview, Part 310:37
The last of a three part series on Entrepreneurship.
- Optional Reading0:55These online resources provide ideas from a variety of business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for the course. Guy Kawasaki on The Art of the Start (video) About a year after his book The Art of the Start was published, Guy Kawasaki posted this video on the Internet. It has…
- Objectives1:39In this chapter, you will learn: Can you turn your business idea into a real business? What does it take to build a business? What sets your business apart from other companies? OVERVIEW You have an idea for a business. What’s the first step? Take the idea that has been forming in your head (your bu…
- Concept Kick Start, Part 18:15
Part 1 of a four part video series on Concept Kickstart.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Concept Kick Start, Part 210:09
Part 2 of a four part video series on Concept Kickstart.
- Concept Kick Start, Part 310:24
Part 3 of a four part series on Concept Kickstart.
- Concept Kick Start, Part 47:46
The last of a four part series on Concept Kickstart.
- Optional Reading2:03These online resources provide ideas from a variety of business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for the course. “The following blogs support my belief that an idea alone has no value. Ideas on their own are just not that important.” Tim Berry, course author A Really Good Answe…
- Objectives1:55In this chapter you will learn: There are many types of startups, from the simple one-person business to a complex technology startup, with a lot in between. How to choose a business name, and how to own the name. Basic legal business types: corporations, limited liability corporation, sole propriet…
- Business Basics, Part 110:18
Part 1 of a three part series on Business Basics.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Business Basics, Part 211:23
Part 2 of a three part series on Business Basics.
- Business Basics, Part 318:21
The last in a three part series on Business Basics.
- Optional Reading0:38These online resources provide ideas from a variety of business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for the course. Just Getting Going, Building, or Planning to Fly (web only) Here is a nice summary of the basics of corporate entities and structure. It’s an excerpt of a book on b…
- Objectives1:39In this chapter you will learn: What is a “target market” and what does it mean for my business? How can I find out who my target market is? What is it that makes my customers buy from me? OVERVIEW How many buyers are there? Where are they, and what do they care about? What do they read, what do th…
- Know Your Market, Part 18:52
Part 1 of a four part series on Market Analysis.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Know Your Market, Part 28:44
Part 2 of a four part series on Market Analysis.
- Know Your Market, Part 35:36
Part 3 of a four part series on Market Analysis. This lesson video demonstrates how to create a Market Analysis table. The demo supports the LESSON: Market Analysis at the end of this section.
- Know Your Market, Part 42:18
The last of a four part series on Market Analysis.
- LESSON: Market Analysis6:00
DOWNLOADS: Templates for Lessons
Financials: The spreadsheet portion of this lesson will be completed by opening the business-plan-financials.xls file. You will continue to build into this file with each spreadsheet lesson.
- Download and open the business-plan-financials.xls (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the "Save as" command to save a copy of the file as yourname_financials.xls
Text: The text portion of this lesson will be completed using the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc. You will continue to build into this file with each text lesson.
- Download and open the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc file (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the “Save as” command to save a copy the plan outline file as yourname_businessplan.doc
Click the "Download Printable Version" button to download the PDF of this lesson. - Optional Reading1:29These resources provide ideas from other business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for this session. Two examples of finding a market need: The right way (identify a need and fill it): Turbo Pascal The wrong way (build a product and sell it): Apple Newton Need vs. Recognized…
- Objectives2:58In this chapter you will learn: How marketing is different from sales How to create a “brand” for your product or service How to best reach your ideal customer/target market OVERVIEW : Knowing about your market isn’t enough. You also need to decide who will be your customer, how you will find new cu…
- Marketing Strategy, Part 18:38
Part 1 of a four part series on Marketing Strategy.
- Marketing Strategy, Part 210:27
Part 2 of a four part series on Marketing Strategy.
- Marketing Strategy, Part310:13
Part 3 of a four part series on Marketing Strategy.
- Marketing Strategy, Part 48:04
The last of a four part series on Marketing Strategy.
- Optional Reading2:28These resources provide ideas from other business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for this session. PR vs. Advertising vs. Social Media vs. Branding What do these terms mean, and are they the same? This post gives examples of each as well as how the meaning can change when yo…
- Objectives0:30In this chapter you will learn: The difference between ‘startup’ and ‘ongoing’ expenses How expenses vs. assets are treated for tax purposes The difference between profits and cash OVERVIEW Start-up expenses happen before the business is running. If expenses come after the start of the plan, they ar…
- Basic Financials, Part 18:59
Part 1 of a three part video lecture series dealing with Financials.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Basic Financials, Part 29:33
Part 2 of a three part video lecture series dealing with Financials.
- Basic Financials, Part 33:25
Part 3 of a five part series on Basic Financials.
- Optional Reading0:38These resources provide ideas from other business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for this session. Business Plan Financials (3-part video series) This series is about 25 minutes long. It talks about the six key financial building blocks. It also gives examples of how they com…
- Starting Costs, Part 110:39
Part 1 of a five part video lecture series dealing with Starting Costs.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Starting Costs, Part 25:28
Part 2 of a five part video lecture series dealing with Financials. This lesson video demonstrates how to create a Startup table. The demo supports the LESSON: Starting Costs at the end of this section.
- Starting Costs, Part 33:16
Part 3 of a five part video lecture series dealing with Starting Costs.
- Starting Costs, Part 43:05
Part 4 of a five part series on Starting Costs. This lesson video demonstrates how to create a Startup Funding table. The demo supports the LESSON: Starting Costs at the end of this section.
- Starting Costs, Part 52:11
The last in a five part video lecture series dealing with Starting Costs.
- LESSON: Starting Costs6:00
DOWNLOADS: Templates for Lessons
Financials: The spreadsheet portion of this lesson will be completed by opening the business-plan-financials.xls file. You will continue to build into this file with each spreadsheet lesson.
- Download and open the business-plan-financials.xls (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the "Save as" command to save a copy of the file as yourname_financials.xls
Text: The text portion of this lesson will be completed using the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc. You will continue to build into this file with each text lesson.
- Download and open the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc file (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the “Save as” command to save a copy the plan outline file as yourname_businessplan.doc
Click the "Download Printable Version" button to download the PDF of this lesson.
- Objectives: Sales & Expenses0:26In this chapter you will learn how to pull together the numbers of a business plan. Video demonstrations will forecast sales and starting costs and as well as ongoing expenses. This will show how the numbers in the plan come together. OVERVIEW Forecasting is like the weather forecast. It's a mix of…
- Forecasting Sales, Part 19:42
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Forecasting Sales, Part 28:56
Part 2 of a two part series on Sales Forecast. This lesson video demonstrates how to create a Sales Forecast table. The demo supports the LESSON: Sales Forecast at the end of this section.
- LESSON: Sales Forecast5:00
DOWNLOADS: Templates for Lessons
Financials: The spreadsheet portion of this lesson will be completed by opening the business-plan-financials.xls file. You will continue to build into this file with each spreadsheet lesson.
- Download and open the business-plan-financials.xls (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the "Save as" command to save a copy of the file as yourname_financials.xls
Text: The text portion of this lesson will be completed using the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc. You will continue to build into this file with each text lesson.
- Download and open the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc file (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the “Save as” command to save a copy the plan outline file as yourname_businessplan.doc
Click the "Download Printable Version" button to download the PDF of this lesson. - Optional Reading0:47These resources provide ideas from other business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for this session. A three-minute video titled, “ How do I Start a Sales Forecast ?” The “ Forecast Your Sales ” chapter from Hurdle: The Book on Business Planning , by Tim Berry, at www.hurdlebo…
- Expense Budget and Payroll, Part 14:25
Part 1 of a three part series on the Expense Budget and Payroll.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Expense Budget and Payroll, Part 21:54
Part 2 of a three part series on the Expense Budget and Payroll.
- Expense Budget and Payroll, Part 37:48
Part 3 of a three part series on Expense Budget and Payroll. This lesson video demonstrates how to create a Personnel table. The demo supports the LESSON: Personnel Plan at the end of this section.
- LESSON: Personnel Plan and Profit & Loss3:00
DOWNLOADS: Templates for Lessons
Financials: The spreadsheet portion of this lesson will be completed by opening the business-plan-financials.xls file. You will continue to build into this file with each spreadsheet lesson.
- Download and open the business-plan-financials.xls (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the "Save as" command to save a copy of the file as yourname_financials.xls
Text: The text portion of this lesson will be completed using the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc. You will continue to build into this file with each text lesson.
- Download and open the minimum-business-plan-outline.doc file (found in the optional downloads area)
- Use the “Save as” command to save a copy the plan outline file as yourname_businessplan.doc
Click the "Download Printable Version" button to download the PDF of this lesson.
- Objective--Getting Financed1:29In this chapter you will learn: How to build a Startup Funding table using your startup costs and expenses from the previous session. Ways to finance a new business, and What works for what kinds of startups OVERVIEW Many classes on starting a business talk about getting money from outside investor…
- Getting Financed, Part 18:44
Part 1 of a two part series on Getting Financing for your business.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Getting Financed, Part 210:48
Part 2 of a two part series on Getting Financing for your business.
- Optional Reading1:23These resources provide ideas from other business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for this session. ARTICLE Five Alternate Sources of Financing , from the Wall Street Journal. VIDEOS What do investors look for in a Startup? (Naval Ravikant, speaker) This speaker has been o…
- Objectives--Building a Team0:34In this chapter you will learn about: Building your team Working with outside advisors How to hire employees OVERVIEW Even if you have no employees, you are likely to need bookkeeping, accounting and legal advice. These advisors should be considered part of your team. You don’t have to know, be and…
- Building a Team, Part 18:32
Part 1 of a four part series on Building a Team.
OPTIONAL: A Slide Notes handout is available. Click here to download it.
- Building a Team, Part 28:12
Part 2 of a four part series on Building a Team.
- Building a Team, Part 39:40
Part 3 of a four part series on Building a Team.
- Building a Team, Part 410:44
Part 4 of a four part series on Building a Team.
- Optional Reading1:07These resources provide ideas from other business and marketing experts. They are not required reading for this session. Articles Angel-Eyed Skepticism on Sweat Equity (originally discussed as part of Session 3: Business Basics) Videos Tim Berry on SBTV: Building a management team. Tim Berry on…
Description
Expert tips from Tim Berry, leading business plan expert, founder and President of Palo Alto Software, Inc. on how to start a business. Tim give you tips on what to do and what not to do when starting up your business.
In this course you will learn the key elements to starting and running a business. These include: Who is your ideal customer? What traits best describe your potential customers? What is the best way to reach your potential customers? What are your starting costs and other starting needs?
Who this course is for:
- An entrepreneur
- Thinking about starting a business
- In the process of starting a business
- Writing a business plan
- Growing your business
- Marketing your business
- Need help understanding the financials of your business
- Pitching your business to a bank or investors