Which U of T entrepreneurship course is right for your startup?
Want to accelerate your startup this fall, using the latest startup tools, methodologies and strategies? Consider taking one of the courses we developed in partnership with the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies in the Certificate in Entrepreneurship program. There are six practical, hands-on courses that run for five weeks, each designed to give you strategies, skills and experience in the least amount of time, to help you get started building your new company as quickly as possible.
Launched last year, the courses can be taken consecutively to gain the Certificate in Entrepreneurship, or they can be taken on their own on an as-needed basis. They are offered on-campus at the St. George (downtown) location and, starting this fall, will also be offered at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). Here is some information about each course to give you a sense of how they may fit with your entrepreneurial goals.
Foundations in Entrepreneurial Management (full at St. George; now offered at UTM)
If you are just getting started and want to learn where to begin with your business idea, the Foundations in Entrepreneurial Management course is for you. It’s designed for future business leaders who would like a deeper understanding of the startup ecosystem, where to go for help (and when), how to build a network of support and more. Learn how to find and validate an idea for your business and draft your initial business model. (Course starts on Tuesday, September 16, 2014)
Building and Managing Your Team
If you want to build a strong and high-performing team from the start, take this course to understand the fundamentals of human resources and to learn the basics of recruiting, hiring and managing employees. Think through your talent strategy, including the culture you would like to support in your startup. Find out how to source and manage a board, and better understand the legal requirements of human resources for your business. (Course starts on Wednesday, September 17, 2014.)
Market Discovery and Intelligence
If you want to build a successful business, it must be customer-focused from the start. Learn how to define your target customer and begin the customer development process, understanding what questions to ask and how to interpret the answers you are getting into a viable business model. This course uses modern market-research techniques to validate your customer problem and demand. (Course starts on Thursday, September 18, 2014.)
Building a Business Model and Plan
The third course follows closely on the results of the customer discovery process of the Market Discovery and Intelligence course. It focuses on the tools and processes you’ll need to design and validate your business model, using the lean startup approach and frameworks developed by Steve Blank, Eric Ries and Alexander Osterwalder. In a highly collaborative environment, you will use your customer discovery efforts to craft a more detailed draft business model, better articulate your value proposition in a way that resonates with your target customers, and determine your revenue and pricing models. (Course starts on Tuesday, October 21, 2014.)
Get familiar with the basics of financial planning, including income statements, cash flow, expense statements and balance sheets, and know how to forecast for business growth. Learn how to make strategic financial decisions and explore different ways to fund your company, from bootstrapping to venture capital, to reach key milestones in your business. (Course starts on Tuesday, November 4, 2015.)
Finding and Marketing to Customers
Learn the fundamentals of marketing and sales from a startup perspective, and work on defining your early strategic marketing goals and setting out a marketing plan. This course teaches you how to incorporate effective marketing and communication strategies to make the most impact on your target customers, and how to measure each stage of the sales process. (Course starts on Tuesday, February 24, 2015.)
Check out all the entrepreneurship courses that MaRS and U of T School of Continuing Studies have to offer this fall and winter to find the right course or program for your startup.
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