The Certificate of Entrepreneurship

The Certificate of Entrepreneurship is a 6 month long program consisting of 8 modules, each taught by an industry expert in each respective field.

Program Modules for the Certificate of Entrepreneurship

Accounting Module
This course will cover the basic fundamentals of accounting, with a focus on creating financial statements from raw data, analyzing financial statements from accountants, creating and managing budgets, understanding taxes, and understanding the relationship between the budget and spending categories associated with marketing, management, etc.
Deliverables: Budget, Cash Flow Statements, Pro Forma Income Statement/ Balance Sheet for three years

Business Planning
Online course
This course will teach small business owners how to combine all of the subjects they have learned, how they relate to one another, and how to create a feasible business plan. This course will be offered online for the entire 6 months of the program.
Deliverable: Business Plan

Financial Management Module
This course is designed to teach business owners about succession planning, long- range financial planning, credit and credit repair, choosing financial management systems, developing a procurement policy or manual, creating an accounting procedures manual and financing their business.
Deliverables: Personal and business financial plans

HR Management Module
This course will also cover some basic principals of human resource management and organizational behavior, but will focus more on issues related to evaluating what positions are needed in small businesses, creating staffing plans, writing position descriptions, hiring, firing, sexual harassment, discrimination, creating staff manuals, payroll management, benefits, taxes, managing small staffs, and family business management.
Deliverables: Employment Application, Interview Template, a draft Staffing Plan, Position Descriptions

IT and the Small Business
Online course
This course focus on the technology small business owners can utilize in the daily operation of their business. Internet use, software applications, equipment acquisitions, technology planning and much more will be taught to participants. The objective of the course is to familiarize the small business owner of the information technology available to create the Virtual Corporation. This course will be offered online for the entire 6 months of the program.
Deliverable: Information Technology Strategic Plan

Management Module
This course will cover some of the basic principals of management, but will focus on issues pertinent to small business owners- like developing an operating plan, understanding insurance and security concerns, creating a mission statement, facilities management, basic product development, presentation skills, networking, planning, licensing, organizational structure changes, growth management strategies, how to plan for growth, and how to plan for failure.
Deliverables: Licensure & mission statement

Marketing Module
This course is designed to help business owners go beyond the four Ps of marketing. They will learn how to determine who their market is, where they are, how to target them, how to set pricing, product development, how to use certifications and procurement to market their products (LSDBE, SDB, GSA and DC Schedules), develop a marketing strategy and plan, and basic ad creation.
Deliverables: Marketing Strategy and plan, definition of target market

Sales and Advertising Module
This course focuses on creating sales strategies to grow businesses, customer service and its relationship with sales, how to use incentives and promotions, designing promotional strategies, how to write press releases, designing basic marketing brochures and tools, how to evaluate advertising venues and pick the right ones based upon your target market and ad placement.
Deliverables: Press release, marketing brochure(s), sales pitch