The Business Plan

Whether starting a business or growing the one you have, a business plan serves as a roadmap and can help secure needed funding. In this course, you evaluate the many aspects and potential hurdles of the business and build the Business Plan, one step at a time.

This practical, hands-on approach encourages you to immerse yourself in the vision and planning aspects of your business. Focusing on the most critical components of the Business Plan enables you to uncover hidden risks and assess the business from a marketing, management, and financial vantage point.

Course length: One month

Number of Hours: 16

Cost: $195

Course start dates: 3/4/24, 5/6/24, 7/1/24, 10/7/24

You may also take this course as part of the Entrepreneurship Certificate

Additional Course Information

Agenda

Unit 1

Getting Started—Refine your concept and begin your plan

Prepare your concept statement—What, Who, Why, When, and How.
Identify product/service features and benefits.
Identify limitation, liabilities, and regulations.
Write your Business Description and evaluate it against a Business Description checklist.

Unit 2

Prepare the Marketing Plan

Conduct an industry and competitive analysis.
Perform a market analysis and identify target markets and a market penetration strategy.
Identify your pricing strategy.
Write your Marketing Plan and evaluate it against a Marketing Plan checklist.

Unit 3

Prepare the Management and Financial Plans

Identify key people and positions, duties and responsibilities.
Determine funding needs and sources.
Create sales and expense estimates.
Write your Management and Financial Plans and evaluate them against checklists.

Unit 4

Complete the Business Plan and Assess Business Feasibility

Polish the plan and add final elements—Cover Page, Executive Summary, Table of Contents.
Evaluate business plan against checklist and identify items in need of additional work.
Assess business against feasibility checklist.
Identify next steps.

Cancellation Policy

Continuing Education Classes:

We understand that sometimes life happens. If you are unable to attend your class, please email Continuing-ed@uwm.edu. We will be happy to contact your instructor to let them know and provide you with any material missed.

If you cancel 8 days prior to the start of your class, we are happy to issue an account credit/voucher to you. If you do not provide an 8 day cancellation notice, you will not be eligible to receive a credit/voucher*. Unfortunately, no refunds will be provided.

*Please remember, vouchers are not issued for and cannot be used towards trips, online, or credit courses.*

In order for Continuing Education to continue to provide the community with the outreach programming that we have, all cancellations will be assessed a 6% administrative fee. If you would like to provide a donation or contribute to our scholarship fund, you can do so at check-out by adding any dollar amount to your order! You can also contact our department at continuing-ed@uwm.edu. Continuing Education is cost-recovery and relies on community donations to help support its programs.

Thank you for your continued support!

Course Detail