Start Up is a semester long course that guides prospective and existing business owners through the necessary steps to write a completed business plan, while testing the financial and market feasibility of their businesses.

The Start Up curriculum includes:

Financials

• Preparing a net worth statement and personal budget
• Financial needs assessment
• Performa statements
• Financial packaging
• Breakeven analysis
• Cash flow analysis
• Taxes and bookkeeping
• Excel

Marketing

• Five P’s of marketing: product, people, price, place, promotion
• Product description
• Customer profile
• Competition analysis
• Market research and analysis
• Marketing plan
• Pricing
• Promotion and advertising
• Internet as a research and marketing tool

 Business Management

• Visioning and defining success
• Developing support documents
• Create daily and long term Plan of Operations
• Goal setting and action planning
• Stress and time management
• Negotiation and Presentation Skills
• Barriers to success and how to overcome them
• Developing your Board of Directors

 Other (Guest Lecturers)

• Tax aspects and bookkeeping
• Panel of WSBP graduates
• Web and Social Network Strategies
• Alternative Business Financing
• Business Legal Issues
• Mock lending interview
• External professional review of completed business plan

Start Up is held every fall from September – December and spring from February – May.

Call WSBP at 802-846-7338 for more information or visit our web site at www.wsbp.org. An application and interview is required to take the course.

Getting Serious Class
Saturday
9 - 5:30 p.m.
August 14, 2010

Cycle 43 of Start Up
Semester starts August 26, 2010