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my brainstorming goes here.

Echo Dawn Designs,

Making and selling specialty service dog harnesses, as well as accessories made out of leather.

Most important mindset of an entrepreneur

Determination and passion, willing to give it their all in hopes of making a difference. They’re willing to meet the challenges and expectations, and continually grow with their ideas and the needs of the business/society.

Q: what do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

A: discipline, determination, passion, and optimistic.

most important mindset and entrepreneur should have is the ability to adapt and think outsde the box.

in permaculture gardening there is a saying the problem is the solution.

Mobile Breakfast Service

• deliver convenient nutritious breakfast options to public transit patreons at affordable prices

What I bring

• years assisting in family catering business
• learning safe food handling
• love of biking
• passion to improve well-being within my community
• Psychological/ Scientific outlook and education
• Experience working in Mental Health field

5.5

• Listing all the ingredients
• having the proper organic / non-gmo certifiation/ partnerships for added credability

Branding inspiration

Airbnb- https://freebiesupply.com/logos/airbnb-logo-2/

Asos –

Beats by Dre logo

Most important qualities for an entrepreneur to have:

• creative
• seek opportunities
• resourceful
• dedicated
• established

resilient

creative

not afraid to fail

executes

flexible

passionate

legacy oriented vs. short term gain

resourceful

people’s person

perseveres

Mindset:

be positive

Passion and Believe in your idea

Risk taker when situation needs it

Have soft skills and and  resistance

More…Important, be Doer

This is the first time I’m using My Notebook for notes. I need to disable the text editor here.

Lesson 1.4

Jot down what immediately comes to mind for you as a business idea.

Lesson 2.4
What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

Lesson 5.3
Take about 10–15 minutes to think of some of the ideas that we could brainstorm for Grow-Well to help “Busy Betty” manage her schedule and save time, and be confident in what she’s feeding her baby.

9.5
Before we talk about how to save, let’s think about why you would want to save money and what your saving habits are

Lesson 13.4
Make notes of anything you think you might be able to use for your own pitch deck

Business Idea:

• Ax3: Art + Design Subscription Box Service

What is the most important mindsest an entrepreneur should have?

• Optimism
• Willing to take risks
• Not afraid of letting people in to help
• Creativity
• Pragmatic/ Logic
• Empathy

Why is industry research important?

• It helps you better understand whats already out there
• It helps you better understand what customers want and don’t want
• It helps you understand Pricing and other Financial Relations
• It helps you gain better comfort and ease anxiety on whether your idea will make it or not if you know what markets are already there and what is needed to be done to make your idea more unique and marketable

Mental Health has become an increasingly large problem in our society.

Whether it is Depression, Anxiety, Fear, Abuse, Addiction, Avoidance or any other mental health issues, Canadians and people around the world are experiencing mental health issues like never before. Part of this can be attributed to an ever more complex society; cell phones, emails and social media demand weekly if not daily attention. Other factors can be linked to increased environmental pollution, neglect by parents, education and medical systems, the fallout of chronic avoidance, sedentary lifestyle, food toxins, diet deficiencies, potential chemical imbalances and more. A huge percentage of people are left simply scraping by, on disability or working full time to put food on the table, while never really understanding how to empower themselves. As a society, we are distracted and influenced by television, radio, social media, viral videos, games, drug and alcohol culture and more, and these problems are only the tip of the ice burg. Some people have had the luck to receive all the right lessons growing up in life and become well directed towards their interests, passions and careers, while others have been left feeling neglected, frustrated and hopeless. It is easy to imagine that the world would be a better place if we had more successful people in it; there would be a faster rate of technological invention, more contemporary art production, a better sense of community and many more amazing benefits. So how do we get people on board? How do we empower people who suffer from mental health complications?

Introducing Explore!

Explore! takes a holistic approach to preparing people for the next stages of their lives by exposing them to new and challenging scenarios at the right pace, with the right people, in the right locations. What does it mean that we take a holistic approach to wellness and development for sufferers of mental health? Let me explain. We factor every element into the equation to produce lasting, compounding results for our students, covering a variety of areas they will make use of in ordinary life, as well as their careers. Not everybody is comfortable, ready or even suited to learning in an academic environment, and for students suffering from mental health complications, the pace, curriculum and lack of tangible student assistance can make going back to school extremely stressful and frustrating, if not impossible to accomplish.

Explore! is taking a new approach to Health Promotion; Group Adventure Experiences.

Not only will students have the opportunity to learn how to Communicate, Explore and Build Healthy Routines for the growth and maintenance of their mental and physical health, students will be exposed at their own pace to a wide variety of skills for everyday life, which will help them build the foundations of their wellness and future careers in society.

Explore! programs will consist of 7 day, 30 day and 90 day programs, designed to teach a variety of skills to a variety of student readiness levels. Topics will be introduced at the ground level and improved upon during the 7, 30 and 90 programs respectively.

Students will learn how to:
Prepare and Implement a Regular Dietary Program for Optimal Nutrition and Health
Use Safe and Effective Posture, Breath and Stretching in Exercise and Activity
Create and Maintain Effective Foundational Routines for Health, Wellness, Growth and Development
Collect, Purify and Ingest appropriate Water Intake for Health and Function
Learn through Text, Videos, Audio Books, Personal Inquiry and Experiment
Effectively Manage and Reduce Stress, as well as Handle Mental Health Crisis’
Implement effective Hygienic Routines for Prevention of Bacteria and Disease
Improve Perspective, Environment and Organization for Optimal Experience
Communicate In Person, Online and Abroad through Networking, Relationship Building and Authentic Presence
Hike, Pack, Camp, Canoe, Adventure and Travel with Safe and Effective Risk Management Strategies
Face Fear, Avoidance and Insecurity through Increasing Levels of Challenge, starting from the ground up
Create Art, Music and Experience through Creative Expression and Exploration
Engage in a variety of interesting activities including Sailing, Rock and Rope, and Archery
Build transferable Self Efficacy in Routine Skills, Novel Skills, Education and Career Related Skills.
Write, Edit and Apply using a Resume, Cover Letter, Introduction and Interview Skills
Give Back to the Environment through Leave-No-Trace, Tree Planting, Organic Gardening and more

The goal of the Explore! program is to empower people with mental health complications to take on a highly functioning role in their own lives and as part of an ever-growing and changing society. Explore! will first assess students’ level of skills in all the applicable areas, ask them what else they want to learn, build them into cooperative teams and gradually expose them to greater and more complex challenges as their level of self efficacy increases from low to Extraordinary!

The Outdoor Element of our program is not to be overlooked. With an ever more technologically driven society, people are experiencing what is now termed as Nature Deficiency Disorder. Adventure, as well as exposure to wildlands and trees has been proven to Reduce Blood Pressure and Stress, Boost the Immune System, Improve Mood, Sleep, Focus and Recovery for people with Mental and/or Physical Health Complications.

Exposing people to challenges above their skill level can turn them off of learning, as can repeatedly exposing them to too little of a challenge. Explore! aims to always expose students to the level of challenge they are most ready for, and takes pride in being able to create compatible groups for teamwork, leadership and learning opportunities.

Explore! will give students all the skills necessary to Live, Grow and Succeed in a Complex World with Mental Health.

Business Idea(s)

• Barcade
• Arts & Crafts Nights (hosted at venues or homes)
• Graphic Design Freelance
• Street Artist/Vendor
• Vending Machine Operator (for healthier foods/drinks)

***Find 5 interviewees that are my ideal customers for my kind of business***

Important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• They should be able to make calculated risks and not be afraid to fail, be confident in themselves, be creative and a critical thinker/problem solver.

• Sell gourd lanterns and maybe lamps
• maybe sell mosaic lanterns and lamps
• possibly expand to other housewares
• outdoor products, such as:  wind chimes, candle holders/lanterns, place mats, acrylic glassware & jugs

Being prepared to fail; being passionate about the product

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS: — evolves over time; this is a snapshot, so wait to write it until as late as possible in the process because you will be reluctant to make changes to it later.

• Key activities:  marketing; production; logistics:
  • social media
  • web page
  • combine products with a travel blog (e.g. “Look what I found in Turkey!”); need to have a core set of products, but then individual products can be added on a temporary basis (e.g. Turkish/Portuguese/Mexican tiles in October).  Ideally, the extra products would correspond with a new place traveled to
  • have mini videos of where the product is produced, who’s doing the work, etc.
  • when everything is up and running well, send a sample to HGTV outdoor designers
  • on web page, show the product being used a la IKEA photo spreads, but can also show them being used in mini videos with nice soundtracks to set the mood
• Key partners
  • artisans who will make the lanterns
  • import brokers
  • web page designer
  • stores that purchase my products
  • event planners/party supply rental companies
  • interior designers
• Key resources:  production in plants; brands; distribution
• Value proposition
  • ?
• Customer relationships:  e.g. membership; how you interact with your customer
  • through a travel blog; Instagram; Facebook
• Channels:  how to get product to your customer (e.g. internet, mail, retail, etc.)
  • other retail shops; mail
• Customer segments (target demo)
  • depends on cost
  • women, aged 35-60
  • middle-class & up
• Cost structure:  distribution & sales; marketing; manufacturing
• Revenue stream:  how you make your money
  • selling the products; maybe eventually, advertisers

* Last 2 points are useful to do in Excel right away, but the writing around it can wait until the last minute.

I will need to figure out total costs to figure out how much to charge.

* If the product does well, I will face competition from N. American producers — they will emerge and will be able to beat my pricing

Society (including target client):

• trend now in fashion and home interiors for bohemian style (Boho), but trend could change at any time
• trend towards environmentally-friendly products (if I use solar)
• trend towards outdoor living
• I may need to let the cost partly determine the target client — if I can’t get selling price down low enough, I’ll need to stress custom orders, hand-crafted, environmental, etc.

Technology

• specific tools/equipment needed if I do the work myself
• LED lights would need to be sourced if I do it myself; if not, make sure LED is used by manufacturer because heat can’t be too much

Environment (physical and competition):

• other online retailers:  Etsy, one that imports from Turkey on an as-ordered basis
• lots of other types of outdoor and solar lanterns, mostly made from plastic (China) and metal which are cheaper
• need to find out if paints used are (or could be) environmentally-friendly (ie. biodegradable).  On the other hand, if they are, they probably won’t hold up to the elements outdoors

Economics

• if I do bulk ordering, I will save money per item and on shipping, but I’ll have to pay for storage if I don’t want to store them at home.  I could start with storing them at home and if the business picks up, rent storage
• more economical to sell online and to wholesale to local sellers
• if I end up needing to hire people to carve them, they may end up costing me more than just importing them from Turkey or having them drilled in the US where the minimum wages are lower
• I need to be able to scale up if needed if I do them myself.  If I import them, the producer needs to be able to scale up if needed

Politics

I have recently become a Reiki Master and love helping people. To be part of a team in an alternative care office would be ideal. I have knowledge in herbal medicines and essential oils. I am taking a course in pendulum and crystals. I would like to take reflexology to complete a care package for people with mental, physical pain.

catchy name in the mirror…vanity’s edge

small video

social media

mind set          mind set is a personal goal knowing there are going to be ruff trying scared doubtful times but having the persistence and will to overcome these doubt and trouble spots knowing if you are persistent and can dream it you can do it…it is where my will ,will take me

business idea:

Gaming Lounge, Cafe and Bar

afasfsdf Soroosh Soroosh!

What I think is the most important to have for a entrepreneurial mindset.

1. Writing down goals
2. Make a plan
3. Creating a vision board for those tough days
4. Ask for help
5. Treat your business like its your baby.
6. Don’t give up

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?
The mindset an entrepreneur should have is patience, hard work ethic, independent but knows where to go for help, able to strategies, think several moves ahead, knows the art of war and the 48 laws of power.

the three gears of design thinking are: empathy and deep human understanding [understand peoples needs]; concept visualization [explore new possibilities]; strategic business design [turn ideas into a strategy].

Primary research is new research, carried out to answer specific issues or questions. It can involve questionnaires, surveys, or interviews with individuals or small groups. You’ll learn more about how to do your own primary research.

Secondary research means you’re looking at or using information that was previously researched for other purposes and is publicly available (also known as “desk research”). Secondary research includes published research reports you can access from a library, surveys, or the Internet. It can also include scientific reports produced by medical councils, universities, or government. You’ll need to complete secondary research for your business.

Industry research helps you…

Understand your competition
Know what kind of conditions your business will operate in
Find good ideas about what other businesses are doing
Look for potential business partners
Make sure that your business/idea is realistic
What is a STEEP analysis?
A STEEP analysis is a way to help you identify and define relevant trends that will impact your business.
Why is it important?
It can help you discover gaps in the market that might give you a unique opportunity, and it can help you be prepared for changes in the marketplace.
So how do you put together a STEEP analysis?
Do proper research by gathering both quantitative (stories) and qualitative data (numbers) to confirm new trends in the industry or area your business idea falls into. These are trends caused by changes in Society, Technology, Environment, Economy, and Politics (STEEP).

Use information from your research (using articles, books, websites, your own observations, etc.), and select interesting trends related to your business idea or business area (e.g., Adnan would look at trends in the food industry).

It’s worth noting that you don’t need to identify trends for each one of these categories when you conduct a STEEP analysis, especially because not all categories will be relevant for your industry or may have taken place. This is just to give you an idea of the main areas where broader changes can create trends that may impact your business or create an opportunity gap for your business idea. Some trends might also be caused by changes in more than one STEEP areas (e.g., changes in politics and the environment might lead to more opportunities for “green” business ideas).
So, how do you assess trends?
Once you’ve identified a few trends in your business area, you should evaluate them, and figure out which ones are going to be important to you. Focus on trends that are highly likely to happen and that would have the most impacton your business. Then, analyze your findings.

An easy way to do this is to use a two-by-two framework or “map.” Watch the video below for more infor

When Shirley was talking to Adnan about the importance of knowing the terrain, she mentioned to him that an important step is understanding the “landscape of players.”
What is the landscape of players?
This refers to the businesses, organizations, or individuals who are conducting business in the same marketplace your business will be in or that may impact or influence that market.
Why is it important to figure this out?

• Learning from existing businesses (e.g., failures, successes, inspiring ideas) is very helpful for growth
• Knowing your competitors well will help you figure out how to differentiate your business from theirs
• Broadening your horizons will help you think about who might be a good business partner(s).

How do I identify my landscape of players?

• STEP 1
• STEP 2

Identify the businesses, organizations, and individuals who are conducting business in your industry. You can start with those in the same industry and then expand to those in related or adjacent industries. Later in the course, we’ll come back to this and decide which players are competitors and which might be partners.

This is optional, but it can be helpful to conduct a review of the activities, trends, and financial results of key players. You can then use this information to better understand the industry you’re working in and get more ideas for your business.
How do you define your target customers?
When you think about your potential customers, you need to consider different things like age group, gender, marital status, job, income, occupation, life stages, lifestyle, values, attitudes, behaviour, occasion, health condition, ethnic background, geography, etc.

Other things you should think about when choosing or identifying your target customer:

• Do I feel passionate about them/do I care about them?
• Are they easily accessible?
• Are there enough of them? (large enough market size)
• Are there any related trends that I can take advantage of based on my STEEP analysis?
• What does my past experience or gut feeling say? (although it’s not always right, it’s worth listening to your instincts!)

You also need to be careful that you find the right balance. If you go too broad, then you’ll lose focus because you’re trying to reach too many people. Remember, niche is better, but if you go too narrow, then you probably won’t have enough customers.

When the mentors introduced Adnan and June to the Three Gears of Business Design, they mentioned that one of the gears is about learning how to empathize with people and to listen to their stories so you can build a business that best suits your customers. They also discussed how this is essential to design thinking – making sure the customer is at the centre of your business planning and design.

This means you have to figure out who those customers are. This is your target market.

Target Customer (target market/target audience):a specific group of people that your product or service is aimed at.

You can use June and Adnan’s library research worksheet below to help guide your research. Print it out or fill it in right on the screen. It’s a great resource to help you with your initial research.

HITTING THE LIBRARY

In the next lesson, June and Adnan learn about two hands-on types of qualitative research that will help them understand their customers and their customers’ needs better. They also find out what a needs analysis is, as well as a persona, and how to complete these to build on what they’ve already learned so far and to shape their business planning and design.

It’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice!

There are three challenges to complete for this lesson that will help you understand where your business fits in to the market and who you’re trying to reach with your product/service/idea:

1. STEEP analysis
2. Landscape of players
3. Target customers

Challenge 1: Complete Your STEEP Analysis
Do some careful research to identify top trends that may impact your business. Use the two-by-two framework below to map these out and then zero in on the trends that will have the highest potential impact on your business idea/product/service.
Challenge 2: Identify Your Landscape of Players
Using your library research and what you’ve learned about your industry (see Hitting the Library), fill in this Landscape of Players worksheet, listing the potential players in your industry.

Nude by Nature
This extensive natural makeup line, which was recently launched at Shoppers Drug Mart, has us in awe of its performance (and its pretty rose gold accented packaging). We love how details like online shade matching and affordable price points make Nude by Nature accessible to a wide audience, and encourages new customers to #gogreen.

With so many gorgeous products to choose from our top pick was tough, but we’re particularly partial to the Perfecting Primer (spreads easily and dries quickly), and the light glowing coverage of the Radiant Loose Powder Foundation (designed with a plug in the lid to prevent messy purse spills).

RMS Beauty
We’re long-time fans of legendary makeup artist and RMS Beauty founder Rosemary Swift and her clean-as-they-come cosmetic line. The pots of colour and cover-ups are not just easy to apply (a finger swipe is all you need), but the products themselves are created with raw, food-grade ingredients to nourish and rejuvenate the skin.

Our pick for spring is their Signature Set Mod Palette, which conveniently combines Swift’s cult favourites (Master Mixer, Living Luminizer, Simply Cocoa Lip & Skin Balm, and Lip2Cheek) in the prettiest of peachy brights.

Kjaer Weis
If you’re a sucker for stylish presentation like we are, then you’ll love Kjaer Weis. One of the most beautiful brands in the cosmetics biz, the company appears to effortlessly blend luxury and sustainability. Certified natural and/or organic ingredients, on-trend tones, and an air of classic elegance can be found in each performance-driven product.

We’re smitten with the brand’s lip gloss in Courage, a sweet springtime shade of coral — it swipes on smooth and luscious, and is refillable (just save the lid!) for added eco-sensibility.

Zorah Biocosmétiques
To say we’re a little obsessed with this Montreal-based organic beauty brand would be an understatement. They may be one of our newer natural makeup discoveries, but we are already happily addicted to their argan oil-infused, high-end beauty line.

Our favourites for spring are hands down the Corrective Concealer (packaged in a familiar clickable wand, making it easy to apply just the right amount of coverage), and the volumizing mascara, which is scented as beautifully as it performs.

Victoria Radford
Victoria Radford’s namesake all-natural makeup line encompasses everything we love about green beauty: clean and nourishing formulas, extensively tested, and created with a flawless look of luxury.

For spring, we’ll be rocking a sweet trio of foundation sticks from the Toronto-based eco-chic brand: a shimmery base aptly named Pearl, followed by a soft lift of Warm foundation, and finished with a subtle swipe of Light Contour for that covetable no-makeup-look.

W3ll People
W3ll People never ceases to impress us with their wide range of stunning shades and high performing products. Their products, which are cruelty- and chemical-free, contain hydrating therapeutic botanicals like aloe, chamomile, and organic green tea to protect and beautify skin both inside and out.

We’re big fans of multi-purpose products, and W3ll People is known for their multi-sticks. Our favourite for spring is their Multi-Use Cream Stick in Nudist, a barely there kiss of coral-peach for eyes, lips, and cheeks.

Da lish
This Canadian natural makeup brand, an international favourite of makeup artists and industry pros, delivers professional performance with natural and organic ingredients.

Chock-full of antioxidants and vitamins to enhance your skin’s natural beauty, Da lish’s full range of eye, lip, and face products are easy to apply, and simple to wear. We think their B04 bronzer balm (ideal for all skin tones and contouring), and their bestselling matte lipstick in L02 Pinky/Red are tops for healthy spring colour with a hit of bold brights.

Fitglow Beauty
Although we’re new to the Fitglow fan club, we’re already impressed by this nutrient-infused beauty line. This plant-based brand, which is certified cruelty free and clean, combines science and nature to deliver nourishing, gorgeous results.

Our must-have for spring? Fitglow’s Vita Active Foundation. As pretty in the package as it wears on the skin, this light coverage is infused with superfoods to reduce inflammation and protect and smooth the skin.

Rituel de Fille
Founded by three artist sisters, Rituel de Fille celebrates the power and beauty of natural ingredients, and is one of our favourite ways to enhance our own personal magic.

From pots of pretty shimmer to soft pastels and creamy brights, we love this natural makeup brand for a little added sparkle to our daily makeup routine.

This spring, iridescence is in, and we’re captivated by the brand’s Rare Light Luminizer in Anthelion (a golden warm highlight), and the Ash and Ember Eye Soot in Seven Sisters for a smoky dusting of blue-grey that can be worn as a shadow, liner, or base.

Axiology
This vegan lipstick brand supports women artisans in Bali, as well as environmental initiatives and animal welfare programs.

Users of the brand will love the gold tubes, eye-catching boxes, and brilliant colour crafted from natural and organic ingredients that stay put with a smooth finish.

We can’t get enough of the subtle sheen of sea shell shimmer from the brand’s The Goodness Cream Finish Pale Pink Lipstick, which is perfectly timed with spring’s iridescent trend.
Challenge 3: Discover Your Target Customers
Now that you’ve got a better understanding of your market, you now need to think about who you want to reach with your business. Use the worksheet below to brainstorm customer groups and then select the one you want to know more about and give reasons for that choice.

1. You can’t generalize an entire gender

The first and most important thing to understand about marketing to women is that marketing to “moms” or “daughters” or “single women” isn’t enough. Women are complete, multi-faceted people who have diverse interests and a variety of life experiences.

While the fact that we are female may affect their purchasing experience, trying to sell to us just as “women” isn’t going to be a winning strategy over time.

2. Women are more likely to give to causes than men

Many women choose to spend their dollars politically, purchasing from companies that donate some portion of their profits to causes they believe in (to be fair, many men do too). As a company, one idea may be to foster a relationship with a local group whose mission you agree with or to have a specific day where you donate profits to a national group.

This can help women feel like they’re doing more than just shopping, which can boost your sales.

3. Make sure you know what you’re talking about

This is less about “talking to women” and more about understanding niche-specific terms. For example, someone who does not spend a lot of time in the sewing community may not realize that while older people prefer to call themselves “sewers,” many younger hobbyists refer to themselves as sewists.

If you’re writing a piece talking about sewers and targeting it toward Millennial women, you may not get the reaction you want.

The best way to make sure that your marketing is likely to resonate is to hire a content writer who meets as many of your perfect customer attributes as possible.

4. Un-marketing can be more effective

It could be worth focusing less on marketing their products with catchy slogans or fancy graphics, and instead on connecting with women by simply explaining what products do. This can be especially effective when you can capture word-of-mouth marketing that connects customers to customers.

For example, Newcastle Ale is well-known for its cheeky ads that mock their product–as well as using fan-supplied photos instead of stock ones. By approaching the concept of a marketing campaign differently, they can engage women (and men) in a fresh manner, which is fun for the company and the consumer.​

After all, most customers consider their friends and family to be the best experts on any given product. By moving forward transparently, companies can capture the interest of women who are tired of being sold to, and just want to research products.

5. Don’t just make everything pink

The worst mistake marketers can make is to take a standard graphic that they already use, recolor it pink, and then decide that the ad now targets women. If there was ever a time where simply using pink to attract the attention of women was a viable strategy, that time has passed.

Women like a wide variety of colors, just like men do. Offer us a diverse variety of options, in ads, products, and marketing.

6. Respect women’s diversity

More than at any other time in history, women are celebrating their diversity. Trans women, women of color, black women, and LGBT women–just a few examples–are embracing the differences in their identities and exploring their interests.

By finding out what intrigues them and marketing to their specific interests–and in their language–companies have a great opportunity to market their products and services to women.

Too often, we think of marketing to women being focused in narrow industries. Fashion, electronics in pastel shades, a certain subset of entertainment, and a wide variety of food items.

As companies continue to grow into the 21st century, it’s important to remember that the percentage of female leaders–from entrepreneurs to CEOs–is growing.

What tactics and techniques have you found work well when marketing to a primarily female audience?

This first stage of your work on your business plan is the most important. This is when we take the time to really get to know and understand our customers. There are two types of qualitative research that are really useful for this: Observational Research/Shadowing and Ethnographic interviews.
Observational Research
One of the easiest ways you can learn about your customers is through observing their behaviours. It’s also one of the oldest techniques used in market research.

It’s a qualitative research method of collecting and analyzing information that you get by directly or indirectly watching and observing others in natural or planned environments.

Figure out the kinds of places where your target customers would interact, buy, or use a product or service that’s similar to yours.

Bring a notepad or some other discreet way to record what you see. Don’t use any recording devices like cameras or cellphones.

Observe! It can be helpful to move around or change positions to get different perspectives and to avoid being too obvious.

You should never try to observe any potentially sensitive behaviours or make anyone feel uncomfortable. For example, don’t stand outside a change room. You also need to be very careful around vulnerable populations or children. If you need to do an observational exercise with kids, then make sure you get permission from parents or guardians.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Observational Research

• ADVANTAGES

• It’s free!
• Your subjects behave more naturally
• You can modify or adapt your approach to get the best results possible

• DISADVANTAGES

• You have no control over the situations and environments
• It takes time!

Ethnography is the study of people, and ethnographic research comes from anthropology. It’s about trying to understand someone from their own point of view. It’s an opportunity to both hear their own perspective and to put yourself in their shoes. It’s also a great way to get ideas about how best to shape your business for your target customer.

What you think people need is not always what they need – it’s not always obvious, because people are multidimensional. Talking to people and listening to their stories can help you figure out what’s missing for them and how your product or service might meet that need.

People can also only talk about what they know exists today, so it’s your responsibility to dig deeper and try to understand what’s behind what they say.

What does the customer need from relationships with the people around them?
Example: I need the confidence of my family (as I explore new job opportunities).

What does the customer need on a functional and practical level?
Example: I need reliable transportation to get my kids to their various activities, or I need a stylish solution to the problem of too many bags to carry to work in the morning.

What does the customer need emotionally? This is very close to social. The difference is that it comes from within, not from the people around them.
Example: I need to feel in control in a world that is often chaotic.

What information or knowledge does the customer need? This is anything to do with information or messaging.
Example: I need clear signs to help me navigate through different areas in a big hospital OR need a resource that will give me all the information I need to help me decide which cell phone is the right one for me.
Conducting an Interview
So how do you conduct an ethnographic interview? How do you gain empathy to understand different people? Try to think of it as a conversation more than an interview.

• DO
• AVOID

Ask open questions like:

• “tell me more about…”
• “tell me your stories about…”
• “why…”

Avoid asking “directed” questions like:

• “Was your father important in your life?” Rather say: “Tell me about your father.”
• Instead of “Was the sauce too spicy?”, ask “Why do you say you didn’t like the sauce?”.

So for the Grow-Well business case we started to examine in Lesson 3, Jennifer (the Grow-Well business owner) would be looking for stories around baby food and nutrition and also possibly cooking and shopping. Some potential questions she could ask might be:

• Tell me more about how you plan your meals.
• What’s a typical visit to the grocery store like for you?
• Tell me the best and the worst stories about feeding your baby.
• What’s your tidying up and washing up routine?
• Have you ever interacted with a company about their baby products? What was that like?

Remember, you’re interested in the whole activity.

Go over your notes as soon as possible after the interview and highlight the important notes. Start to look for patterns and ideas that might help you as you develop your business.

Remember, the goal of ethnographic research is to understand people’s behaviours from their point of view, not your own. It helps you see the context that your target customers might be using or engaging with your product or service or what needs they might have that your product or service could meet.

It can feel intimidating to think of interviewing someone. However, it can be really useful to think about it as if, right now, you’re like a cute little baby seal – a new, fresh-faced entrepreneur – and people love that. You can use this to your advantage to find interviewees, as people actually want to talk to you! Don’t be afraid, and make sure you use your “baby seal appeal” while you can.

Approach each interview with empathy. Keep an open mind, listen carefully, and remember that it’s often as much about what people say as what they don’t say.
Let’s Give it a Try!
Take a look at the questions June has prepared below. Right away, you can see that her questions are too specific and will only get a yes or no answer from Tony. Asking questions that aren’t open ended won’t help her gather enough detail or encourage Tony to tell her stories.

Help June get the kind of information that will be most helpful for her by selecting the best version of the question she should ask Tony. Select the best answer, and then click CHECK to see the correct answer. Click NEXT to move to the next question.

1. QUESTION 1 OF 5

   Would you hire a professional organizer?

   What would be a better question to ask:

   •  Would you find it useful to have someone help you organize your office? Why or why not?
   •  Do you want to increase your productivity?
   •  Do you think it’s expensive to hire an organizer?

1. Would you hire a professional organizer?

   What would be a better question to ask:

   •  Do you think it’s expensive to hire an organizer?
   •  Do you want to increase your productivity?
   •  Would you find it useful to have someone help you organize your office? Why or why not?

   CorrectThat’s right!

2. Do you want to go paperless?

   Pick the better version for June to ask:

   •  Why do you have so much paper?
   •  Do you know how to use Google Calendar?
   •  Would you consider using digital organizational tools? Why or why not?

   CorrectThat’s a good open-ended answer!

3. Do you work all day in your office?

   Pick the better version for June to ask:

   •  Do you prefer working in the field?
   •  How long do you spend in your office?
   •  Tell me about a typical work day for you.

   CorrectGreat! That’s the best choice.

4. Do you like working from home?

   Pick the better version for June to ask:

   •  What do you like and not like about working from home?
   •  Why do you have a home office?
   •  Tell me more about your business.

   IncorrectA better choice might be “What do you like and not like about working from home?”

5. Do you struggle to find what you need in your office?

   Pick the better version for June to ask:

   •  What frustrates you most about your work space at the moment?
   •  Have you always been messy?
   •  Do you have other places to store your paperwork?

   IncorrectYou might consider “What frustrates you most about your work space at the moment?”

Conducting a Needs Analysis
Now that they’ve done some research, observed and interviewed potential customers, and gathered useful information, Adnan and June are ready to more carefully define the needs of their potential customers through a needs analysis.

Reflect on each of the following questions. Then, click on each one to find out more.

WHAT IS A NEEDS ANALYSIS?
Defining the needs of the customer by distilling or narrowing down the data and insights from your primary research.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
To run a good business, you have to create value for your customers. That means you need to understand and fulfill the customer’s needs. Customers don’t value products and services that don’t fulfill their needs. By understanding various kinds of needs, you can find ways to set your business apart from your competitors.

Review your notes from your interviews and field observations, and write down insights (things that reveal the customer’s pains, wants, beliefs, values, habits, etc.). Consider any deeper motivations that may exist behind what people say or do on the surface. It’s helpful to write each new insight on a separate sticky note.Group the insights according common themes or patterns across all your interviews and observations. If you’ve used sticky notes, place all of them on a large sheet of paper and see which ones fit together. Move them around into themes or patterns. Then, label each group using larger sticky notes or a marker.

Based on your findings, summarize the common themes into a sentence or two to describe the key needs. Write these down on a larger sticky note. Don’t forget to consider the social, physical, emotional, and communication needs.

• SOCIAL NEED – What does the customer need from relationships with the people around them?
• PHYSICAL NEED – What does the customer need on a functional and practical level?
• EMOTIONAL NEED – What does the customer need emotionally?
• COMMUNICATION NEED – What information or knowledge does the customer need?

Add any quotes that may give more context to the needs.

Using this framework to organize the insights that you got from your customer stories will reveal gaps in what people need and in what is currently available to them.
What is a persona?
A persona is an imaginary character that represents your target customer group. Think of it as a profile of your ideal customer or client.
Why is it important?
Personas help you think about your customer’s perspective throughout the development process of your business, and they help you remember your customer at all times.

As an added bonus, personas are great tools for you to use to explain your business and your target customers to potential investors, lenders, or even partners.

It’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice!

There are four challenges that you should complete for this lesson and that will really help as you build your business ideas (and later, your business plan):

1. Observational research
2. Ethnographic interviews
3. Needs analysis
4. Persona building

Challenge 1: Do Observational Research
The first challenge is to observe your customers interacting with a product or service like yours/similar to yours to learn more about their needs and their behaviours.

Step 1: Identify at least three places where you might see your target customer interacting with your products or services.

Step 2: Pick two of these places, and spend some time observing the behaviours of your potential customers. Take detailed notes. You should be there for more than 30 minutes.

Step 3: Using your raw notes, identify three key insights from the behaviours you noticed.

Step 4: Write down suggested explanations for those three insights/behaviours.

Use this worksheet to help you map out your observational research plan.
Challenge 2: Conduct an Ethnographic Interview
In Lesson 1, you identified at least five potential interviewees. Your challenge now is to interview at least two of these people and gather stories from them.

What kinds of stories should you try to find?

1. For the customer group you selected, think about what kind of life situation or activity your business idea might fit into.
2. Think about what you want to learn around that situation/activity.
3. Think about a few key questions to get rich stories around what you hope to learn. Remember, rich stories reveal many different types of needs (Social, Physical, Emotional, Communication needs).

Review your interview notes for each interviewee, and highlight the most important ideas that stand out.
Challenge 3: Complete a Needs Analysis
The point of this challenge is to collect all the really important things that you learned from you customer interviews and observations and group them into clusters of related ideas and insights. You’ll need sticky notes (two different colours or sizes) and a large piece of chart paper for this.

Step 1: Go through all your interview and observation notes, and write down or note the most important things you saw and heard (your key insights). Then, write each new insight on its own sticky note. Aim for 3–5 per interview and observation.

Step 2: Put all your completed sticky notes on the large chart paper. See which ones fit together, and move them around to create groups of sticky notes according to common themes/patterns.

Step 3: Label each group using a different coloured or larger sticky note.

Step 4: Fill in the main social, physical, emotional, and communication needs you identified on the Needs Analysis worksheet.
Challenge 4: Build Your Persona
It’s now time to create your own customer persona for your business! Use the information you gathered in Challenges 1, 2, and 3 above, as well as the Building Your Persona worksheet below. You can fill in all the sections on the worksheet directly or print it off. You can copy the needs of your persona from your Needs Analysis, but you’ll probably need to adapt them for your more detailed, more specific persona. Remember to write the needs out in first person (“I” and “me”), as if the persona is saying them

This is going to be a period of exploration for your business ideas. Doing this without judging yourself or your ideas  is really important, because you’re going to open your mind and try to come up with as many ideas as possible. Some of them will be crazy and some may just be genius!
But I Already Have a Business Idea!
You might be thinking “I already have a business idea. Why do I need more ideas?”

Well, doing a needs analysis and creating your persona means you now have new tools to help you to generate ideas that are optimal for your specific customers. These tools mean that you’re going to be able to think of you customer experience in a way that you weren’t able to before and that your competition isn’t able to either. You never know… You may come up with a better business idea you hadn’t thought of yet!

Now you try it!

Take a look at the “Busy Betty” persona on page 6 of the Grow-Well business plan in My Backpack. She represents a typical customer for the business.

Now, take about 10–15 minutes to think of some of the ideas that we could brainstorm for Grow-Well to help “Busy Betty” manage her schedule and save time, and be confident in what she’s feeding her baby (some of her key needs). There’s the food itself, but what are some other ideas for how we can best serve Betty?

Don’t limit or judge your ideas! Write down whatever you can come up with in My Notebook . After you’ve spent some time thinking about this, click on the light bulbs below to see some of our ideas.

Why is it so hard to generate out-of-the-box ideas?

How does our brain work?

How do we push past and out of the small world of things we know and find the bigger, broader possibilities?
Chains of Associations
Our brains work through chains of associations. These chains are based on our past experiences – like when we think of dogs, we might think of cats. Or for those of us in Canada, when we think of bad weather, we probably think of snow and ice, and when we think of snow and ice, we may think of traffic problems.

Chains of associations are efficient, because they help us to move quickly from analysis to action. Although chains of associations have huge benefits, they also carry costs. They can limit our ability to think broadly. We don’t question assumptions as quickly, we jump to conclusions faster, and we create barriers to different ways of thinking about a particular situation.

There are things we can do to battle against those fixed associations and think “outside the box.”
Thinking Outside the Box

WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO THINK DIFFERENTLY THAN US
This yields what is called The Medici Effect – a phenomenon that occurs when a number of talented, creative, and productive people from different fields are brought together and are able to collaborate to create something innovative and new. The idea comes from a book by Frans Johansson by the same name

TRY TO GET AS MANY IDEAS AS POSSIBLE

This helps push your brain to come up with lots of different ideas and not to stay in old ruts or stick with the same chains of association.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO KEEP TRYING

When we think about genius inventors, we tend to think of their one successful idea, but chances are that is one idea out of thousands. Most of us have heard of Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the greatest artists and scientists of all time. Behind his masterpieces, there were thousands and thousands of sketches. Inventor Thomas Edison failed repeatedly on his way to creating a lightbulb. As he said, “I didn’t fail. I found 3,000 ways how not to create a lightbulb.”

Make sure you’ve watched the video above to learn more about Techniques 1 to 3, before moving on.
Technique 4: Organize and prioritize your ideas.
Once you’ve gathered a lot of different ideas, you’ll need to then work on prioritizing and organizing them. The best way to do this is to first divide your ideas into these three “buckets”:

1. Ideas that inspire me
2. Ideas that could work in a year
3. Ideas that could work in the future

You could use sticky notes on a large sheet of paper to make it easy to move your ideas around. Draw a column for each of the three “buckets.” Then, write each brainstormed idea on a new sticky note, and move them around on the paper to organize them into the relevant “bucket.”

Next, try to narrow down your ideas by picking your top 10 best ideas. An easy way to do this is to rate your ideas using the following three criteria:

• How new or different is the idea?
• How well does it/might it meet your main customer need?
• How easy is it to implement?

See the brainstorming worksheet in Over to You for an easy way to do this.

The more ideas you can generate, without judgement or fear, but while still thinking about your customer, the more you’ll build a solid foundation for your business.
What is Experience Design?
Experience Design is a process of bringing together your top ideas for serving your customer needs and mapping them out into an “idealized” customer journey or customer experience map through storyboarding. You’re essentially creating an ideal story of how your customer might experience your products and services, and then putting together a visual representation of that journey.

It’s important to design your customer experience map by showing the customer’s journey from first finding out about your business to long after they’ve finished their purchase or service.
Why is Experience Design important?

• It helps you think about how your new ideas can fit in to your customer’s life
• It helps you generate more great ideas
• It helps you find ways to engage and satisfy your customers from beginning to end
• It results in more customer loyalty and more income!

How do I design a customer experience map?
To build a “super experience” map:

Pick your 5 best ideas as a starting point and think about how they can play out in your persona’s life.

Create a storyboard that shows how your persona might experience your new ideas. Describe the most ideal experience (think about things that will be possible in 10–20 years with no limitations) by answering the following:

• How might your customers first hear and learn about your product or services?
• How might they buy or sign up for your products and services?
• How might they use your products or services?
• How might they get follow-up support from your business?

Once you’ve created an ideal customer journey, separate the activities that you can do right away from the ones that will probably take several years to fund or put in place. Then, create another storyboard that shows your persona’s ideal experience that is possible within a year.

Think carefully about the intent behind your ideas. What are you trying to achieve with your idea/product/service. Think about the ideas that may seem impossible at first but that you can potentially make viable without losing your intent. For example, maybe there’s more than one way to provide your service/product to your customer. Even if you can’t do it yourself, maybe you could provide the service if you were able to partner with another business.

Planning for the long term and the short term, you get a sense of the big picture, but also what is more manageable for you as you’re in the first stages of your business.
What is a Storyboard?
We’ve talked a lot about storyboarding, but what is a storyboard? It’s a way to organize and show your ideas graphically/using images, usually in a sequence. It’s used in film and animation to show how a story will progress shot by shot, but for experience design, it’s a visual way to show the steps your customers will take on their journey – from start to finish.

Now that you’ve looked at these examples, take some time to think about the two questions below before clicking to reveal the answer.

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE HOW THE PERSON FIRST HEARS ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE MAP?

This is going to show how you’ve marketed or advertised your product. You need to have made a plan for how you’re going to get the word out about your business. Did you make flyers? Or use social media? Or put some kind of content on your website that would draw your customers in?

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES IN YOUR EXPERIENCE MAP?
These activities show how you’re going to get repeat business from your existing customers. This is also the time/place to get feedback so you can improve your services or products. It also shows how you can use them to help refer you to new customers through word of mouth.

Note that some of these storyboard/experience map examples, like the Canadian Tire one, were created by people who have a lot of experience storyboarding – yours doesn’t have to look like that, but don’t be afraid to think big or get creative!

In the next lesson, you’ll learn more about how to build the internal and external messages that will help you describe what you do (and how it’s different from your competition), as well as where you want to be with your business in the future.

It’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice!

There are two challenges to complete for this lesson:

1. Brainstorming
2. Storyboarding

Challenge 1: Brainstorming Activity
You need to keep brainstorming around your core customer needs until you have lots of ideas – say about 20. You can recruit friends and family to help you.

Then you need to organize your ideas into

• Ideas that inspire you
• Ideas that could work in a year
• Ideas that could work in the future

After that, you need to pick your top 10 ideas, based on the following criteria:

1. How new or different is the idea?
2. How well does it meet customer needs?
3. How easy is it to implement?

Use the worksheet below to organize your ideas and then to narrow them down. Don’t forget to try different brainstorming techniques
Challenge 2: Storyboarding Your Customer Experience
As we’ve discussed, the concept visualization phase of your business (gear two of the Three Gears framework) is about new possibilities. You’ve gone through the process of brainstorming to think of all the ways that you can serve your client’s needs through your business. Once you’ve picked your top 10 ideas, you can start to build out those possibilities into a full customer experience map to further test and refine your ideas.
Challenge focus:
You’ll be creating two experience maps/storyboards: one for the most ideal experience and one for what you can do this year.
Challenge materials needed:
To complete the activity, you’ll need markers, chart paper, and sticky notes. You can also use magazines to cut out relevant images.

• “IDEALIZED” MAP
• “WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS YEAR” MAP

1. Pick your 5 best ideas as a starting point and think about how they can play out in your persona’s life.
2. Create a storyboard that shows how your persona might experience your new ideas. Describe the most ideal experience (so, things that would be possible in 10–20 years with no limits) by answering the following:
   • How might your customers first hear and learn about your product or services?
   • How might they buy or sign up for your products and services?
   • How might they use your products or services?
   • How might they get follow-up support from your business?

For each stage, think about what will really wow your persona. As you create your storyboard, you might also generate more ideas.

Separate out the activities from your “ideal” storyboard that you could put into place right away, and now create another storyboard that shows your persona’s ideal experience that is possible within a year.

Use the chart paper, sticky notes, magazine images, etc. to work out each customer experience map, and make sure you include a list of the components for each map:

People
Objects
Environments
Messages
Services
These activities will be a huge help as you develop your business plan. Remember, no judgement! You don’t have to be an artist to create an effective storyboard

What is a positioning statement?
It’s a key message that you want your customer to hear that sums up who you are, what you do, who it’s for, and why.
Why is this important?
It brings focus and clarity to your business, especially when you’re developing your marketing strategy. This is your outward facing statement (i.e., what you’d share with customers, potential investors, etc.). It’ll allow you to explain what your business is and why it’s what you do better than anyone else –  in one or two brief sentences.
Have you heard of an elevator pitch?
An elevator pitch is called this because it’s a description/explanation/pitch that is short enough that you could tell a stranger what you do and why they should be interested in your business within the time it takes for you to get up to their office on an elevator (we’ll discuss this further in Lesson 13: Your Roadmap). It answers the question, “so, what do you do?”.

A positioning statement is like that.
How do I do it?
Because of the research and work you’ve done so far, you should have enough information to put together your positioning statement.

First, answer the following questions:

• Who is your target customer?
• What business are you in?
• What benefit does your business bring to your customer?
• What makes it better than your competition?

Then, summarize the answers to form one sentence:
For [targeted customers], my business is the [point of reference (i.e., business category, type of business or service)], that does/provides/makes/brings [benefit] better than the competition because of [difference between you and competitor].”
That seems pretty wordy! An example for the Grow-Well business, to help you get a better idea, would be something like this:

For busy parents who care about their children’s health [target customer], Grow-Well is the custom organic food maker [type of business] that provides healthy food options for babies and toddlers. Grow-Well provides individual consultations to create menus that fit the needs of the individual baby and the parents [benefits to the customer]. We use only high quality organic ingredients and healthy cooking processes that parents can trust [why it’s better than competitor’s].
Tips for creating your own positioning statement:
Start with brainstorming a few answers to each of the questions above. Then, try forming a few draft sentences rather than trying to form a perfect sentence from the beginning. Don’t worry about getting it right the first time. You can also come back to this and adapt or change it over time.

What is a vision statement?
This is an internal message, for you, that describes where your company wants to be in the future. It describes the hopes and dreams you have for your business; in other words, it’s the vision you have for your business.
Why is this important?
It can help you stay on track. For example, it can help you think about what to do or what not to do in your daily operations. It can also motivate you and your employees. Any time you feel like you’re not sure whether to do something in a certain way, your vision statement can help remind you of your goals and overall vision for your business.

Take a quick moment to think about goals. This is something we explored in Lesson 2: An Entrepreneurial Approach. Read through the two questions below, jot down your answers , and then click on the questions to reveal the answers.

WHAT IS A GOAL?

Goals are targets or objectives. It’s the object of your ambition or effort.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOALS?

• They remind you of what you originally intended to do
• They keep you on track
• They motivate you to do well

Your vision statement will serve as a goal and a “north star” for you – it reminds you of the direction that you want to go in.
How do I do it?
First, answer the following questions:

• Where/what do you hope your business to be 5 to 10 years from now?
• How will your business be known? How do you want people to think about your company?

Then, summarize your answers to form about one to three sentences.

Click on the images below for some helpful examples of vision statements.
Tips for creating your vision statement:
Remind yourself that this is an internal statement to help your business stay on track and to motivate you and your staff. Use the following questions to guide your thinking:

• How much revenue do you want to make? (be ambitious but realistic with your numbers)
• How many employees or customers do you want to have?
• What other achievements would be meaningful to you?
• How do you want people to think of your company?

Your vision statement connects to your overall business plan as part of your business profile. Like with your positioning statement, you might adapt or change this over time.

It’s important to start thinking about what types of marketing activities you can do to reach your target customers. You’ll need to use the experience map you created (and the brainstorming skills you’ve developed) for the last lesson (Exploring New Possibilities) to do this.
How do I do it?

1. Based on your experience map, create a list of activities that will help you reach your customers. Brainstorm more activities if you need to, keeping in mind the needs of your customer. Think about the following:
   • How will your customers first hear about you?
   • How will you follow up with them after the sale/purchase?
   • How will you keep an ongoing relationship with them?
2. Pick your 3–5 top activities and map out details on how, why, and at what cost you will implement them.

It’s important to keep in mind that you want to come up with the activities you think will have the most impact for your business. You also want to make sure you’re clear on how you’d define impactful. For example, would it be make more of a difference to your business to have a large number of Facebook followers or to have a smaller number of enthusiastic followers who buy from you repeatedly?

In the next lesson, you’ll be learning more about branding and using social media to promote your business, as well as about prototyping.

Adnan is feeling very frustrated because, not only is his dad not being supportive, he also just doesn’t seem to get Adnan’s business idea! Every time Adnan tries to talk to him about it, Sharif gets annoyed or confused or starts to criticize him. Adnan tried showing Sharif his vision statement and his positioning statement, but Sharif still seemed confused and told Adnan he shouldn’t be wasting his time on such abstract things. Of course, this makes Adnan feel very discouraged and also a bit worried. If his dad doesn’t get it, does that mean other people also won’t and his business will be a failure? Does he need to start all over again and come up with a different idea?

Adnan decides to give Tony a call, as he could really use some support! Tony encourages Adnan not to give up; he thinks Adnan’s vision and positioning statements are good and they explain his business well. He decides to tell Adnan about branding and also about prototyping, as these can both help potential customers understand his business idea and help you get good feedback to improve. Tony reassures Adnan that he also met people who didn’t “get” his aquaculture business, but once he’d built a prototype, it was much easier to explain his ideas, get feedback, and even get interest from investors!

After talking to Tony, Adnan realises that he’s just hit another bump in the road on his trek, but he’s motivated to keep going and to experiment with his ideas.
What is branding?
Your business’s brand is its unique name, image, design, logo, voice, tagline, term, symbol – basically any feature that identifies your service or product and that makes it different from other services or products. However, it’s not just the image or idea but also the feelings people will have when they think of your specific products or services. So, your vision and positioning statements (that you created in Lesson 6: Building Your Vision) actually form a part of your overall brand.

According to The Branding Journal, a great way to understand branding is to think about the example of water. Water is a free resource that technically isn’t “owned” by anyone, but it became a product as soon as companies started to commercialize it by selling bottled water. The product itself (water) looks and acts the same, so how does a company like Evian sell the exact same product as a company like Aquafina but is able to persuade people to buy their water instead of from the competition? The answer is that they created a brand.

What are some famous brands that immediately come to mind for you? Can you picture their logos, their ads, their packaging, and their company image? What kinds of feelings do they give you as a consumer? You can jot down your ideas in My Notebook  for inspiration.

What’s the impact of branding?
Effective branding can mean that your product stands out from the competition and that it creates the specific feeling you want people to have when they think about your product or service. This helps potential customers make easier or quicker decisions about whether to buy your product or hire you over your competition. Successful branding also adds to your business’s reputation and image. This can impact the way future employees, investors, suppliers, etc. view your business.
How do you create an effective brand?
Remember the first cog of the Three Gears of Business Design? You have to understand your audience to understand their needs, likes, dislikes, etc. This is very important when you create your brand; you have to make choices that suit your specific target customer. Your persona is especially helpful here. Some of the ways to create and show your brand include:

• Your advertising, marketing, and communications
• Your business’s visual identity (logo, website, colour choice, etc.)
• Your product design, packaging, signage
• Your pricing
• Your customer’s in-store experience or how you deal with clients (e.g., after sales service or general customer service)
• Your investors, sponsors, or partners
• Your business’s “personality” (e.g., fun, innovative, friendly, traditional, exclusive, inclusive, etc.)

If you think about The Branding Journal’s water example, advertising and packaging are probably the two biggest brand factors that help customers decide between different bottled water options.

Remember, you need to be consistent as you build your brand; make sure that every aspect of your brand reflects the same ideas, feelings, and “personality.”

It takes time and effort to build up your brand, but the easiest way to think about all of this is to remember that your product or service is what you’re trying to sell, your brand is what potential customers see and feel is the image of your product or service, and branding is the way you create that specific image.

Something that can really help you as you think about what kind of branding you want your business to have is what’s known as prototyping. Click on Next Topic to find out more!
What is a prototype?
A prototype is a draft version of your product or design; in other words, you’re building a physical representation of your product or idea, or you’re creating a simulation of the experience your potential customers might have if they go to your store or hire your services. It also can refer to a basic website that you may be building for your business. You’re basically building a mock-up version of your brand.
Why is a prototype important?
Building a prototype allows you to test your ideas or customer experience cheaply or for free, before you create real products or a full website. It helps you explore your ideas and show the purpose of a feature, product, or your overall concept to potential customers before you invest time and money in development.

It helps you get feedback from potential customers while you’re still in the planning and designing stages. You can figure out if people are actually able to use your product or service in the way you want or need them to, and you can find and fix any potential issues before you launch your business. Seeing how potential customers interact with your prototype can help you improve your business and your brand.
What does a prototype look like?
A prototype can be anything from basic paper drawings or sketches (known as low-fidelity prototypes), to a website that allows the click-through of a few pieces of content, or a fully functioning version of your product (high-fidelityprototypes).

We’re focusing on low-fi prototyping because

1. It’s faster and cheaper to build
2. It doesn’t require special skills
3. Hi-fi prototypes tend to get people stuck on a particular way of doing something (because you feel you’ve already invested a lot of time and money, so it’s not worth changing the prototype).

It’s a lot cheaper to change a product, service, or website early in the development process than to make a change after you’ve fully developed it. So, it’s best to build your prototypes as early as possible in your business process.
How do you prototype?

• STEP 1
• STEP 2

From the ideal customer experience that you’ve created in Lesson 5: Exploring New Possibilities, pick a main element that is absolutely essential to the success of your business (e.g., new product, packaging, marketing materials, website, office space, buildings, etc.).

Build rough mock-ups of the element you’ve chosen. For example, if your service is based online, then sketch out what you think your website should look like. If you’re selling packaged goods, then draw an example of what your product packaging will look like. June would likely do a mock-up of her website, because that’s what she’ll be using to “sell” her business, whereas Adnan would create a prototype of his honey packaging or what his stall at a farmer’s market might look like.

Don’t spend a lot of time trying to make your mock-ups perfect. You are not trying to create or test the final look or feel of your product or idea. Instead, focus on thinking through how your product/service works and how your experience flows in the context of your customers’ lives.

It can sometimes be helpful to do what’s called A/B testing. What this means is you create two different versions of your prototype and ask users to test each version and give you feedback. This way, you can see which option works best. Just remember, though, that when it comes to prototyping, the more work you do, the less open to feedback you’ll be!

Take a look at these examples to get an idea of what low-fi prototypes look like
Four Rules of Prototyping to Keep in Mind

1. RECOGNIZE THAT IDEAS ARE CHEAP

Because we live in a connected, Internet-savvy world, ideas have become “cheap” and they’ll probably get cheaper with time. The “high value” lies in testing your ideas and making sure they have economic value (i.e., your idea, service, or product is sellable). A prototype is often the best way to start a conversation with potential customers and test your idea’s value.

You might want to jump into setting up your website or building your product. Fight the urge. Creating something without real consideration for different design factors leads to heartache and a lot of rework. Start with a simple paper design. This is an efficient and effective way to quickly work through the functionality of your idea. If you’ve created a mock-up of your website, you can get peers or potential customers to give feedback on where images, text, buttons, menus, etc. should go. You can get input on whether your product packaging is easy to read, eye catching, etc., or see if your product fits your customers’ needs. Paper designs are cheap and more valuable than just telling someone your ideas

Know your objectives and stick to them. There are two good reasons to prototype: the first is to test how realistic your idea is and the second is to create a demonstration and gain customer feedback so you can price and put a value on your idea/product/service. Keep these objectives in mind and be careful not to fall in love with the process. Prototyping is fun and innovators love to tinker, but you want to invest just enough time and work to meet your objectives.

Design your prototype with modularity in mind. In simple terms, this means creating something that can easily be separated, changed, and put back together again. Great prototypes are often modular, which means you can quickly adapt them to your customers’ unforeseen needs. Customers ultimately decide how to use your product, not you. Make sure that in your design, you allow options for expansion, performance, packaging, and lower cost as needed.

To get useful feedback for your business, it’s a great idea to gather a group of your potential customers. Start by presenting the story of your ideal experience (that you developed in Lesson 5) and then show them your prototype, so they can get a sense of what your idea involves. To ensure you get some specific feedback, it’s then useful to ask the following questions:

• What do you like about the idea/product/service/experience?
• What are your concerns or frustrations?
• What are your ideas to make this idea/experience better?

Remember, you aren’t trying to sell your idea/experience but to get insight from the type of people who would buy your product or hire you for your service.

Welcome negative feedback – don’t get defensive, but rather use this as an opportunity to get as much constructive feedback as possible and to get as many ideas as you can to improve your business idea. Make sure you take good notes (and don’t forget to use the skills you’ve gained through conducting interviews! Go to Lesson 4: People First if you need some reminders).

It’s not enough just to gather the feedback, you now need to actually use it to improve, rework, or change your idea/experience to better serve your future customers or clients
What is social media?
You might already be very familiar with social media and may already use sites like Facebook or Instagram, but the term “social media” refers to the various forms of user-generated content and the collection of websites and applications that allow people to interact and share information online.
Facebook
We tend to think of Facebook for social connections, but it can be a very useful business tool. According to a report by Merchant Circle, over 70% of businesses use Facebook (and the number keeps growing). Facebook updates have been shown to be three times more effective than Tweets to promote online businesses and Facebook also dominates the “check-in” space (which can lead to more “likes” and more potential customers). It allows you to communicate with your customers in “real time.”

HOW DO YOU CREATE YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE?

Create your business’s page using your business name, logo, and branding (using consistent images). Use it as a place to display and share information in a fun, informal way (in combination with your website). It’s a great place to connect and form relationships with people in your industry (and your clients’ clients). It also helps you showcase the “real” side of your business, and gives you space to develop and share your brand.

Be sure to customize your Facebook’s web address (URL) to make sure it reflects your business name. This is what’s known as a Vanity URL, and it looks like this: facebook.com/yourbusinessnamehere. This keeps the web address easy to share with friends, family, other Facebook users, and in other marketing or branding areas. It also helps people find your business easier when they type your business name (or your name, if you’re using that for your business name) into Google and other search engines.

News – Is there anything going on with your business that’s worth sharing? Upcoming events? New hires? Announcements? Sales?
Industry trends/news – What are the current trends in your industry? News posts can be funny, shocking, serious, entertaining. It makes you look like an expert in your field.
Client news – Facebook is a great way to promote upcoming client/customer events and campaigns. It lets people know who you’re working with and for whom.
Past achievements – What were some of your greatest accomplishments? Brag about yourself.

Just remember to keep your tone and “personality” consistent with your overall brand. You want to make sure you’re building trust and credibility with your followers – in the future, they will come to rely on you (and hopefully hire you/buy your product often!). Be enthusiastic and conversational, and make sure you promote your business’s culture and mission.
Twitter
Twitter is a very effective way to promote your business and your mission. You can connect with lots of people, but you can also find and follow niche audiences that are relevant to your business. You can have conversations and build relationships with people in the same industry, as well as potential customers, but you can also keep an eye on your competition. Who are they following? Who’s following them? What is their business up to?

HOW DO YOU SET UP YOUR TWITTER ACCOUNT?

When you sign up for a Twitter account, choose a username that is your business name, or that is as close as you can get. This is what people will use to Tweet at you. Keep your images and branding consistent (use the same across your social media platforms). Fill in your bio; give readers your “elevator pitch” version of what your business is about.

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST ABOUT?
Day-to-day news – Twitter is excellent for sharing “real time” information and photos with followers, which helps you showcase your business’s values and culture. Is there something that you saw or something that happened that you can share with followers?
Industry trends/news – This can be something shocking, funny, or interesting (as long as it’s not inappropriate). This is a great way to show you’re the “expert” and that you keep up to date with the latest information.
Upcoming events – Use Twitter to promote any events, sales, etc. that you may have coming up or to promote your clients’ events (this helps people see who you’re working with and also makes you look good).Remember, you only have 240 characters per Tweet, which is more than Twitter used to allow, but still not a lot of space to say something! You want to keep your Tweets conversational and relevant.Don’t forget to include relevant hashtags that will help people find your posts. Keep these related to your Tweet content and your business focus. You can also see what other people are posting using the same hashtags, and this can help you join the conversation and spread the word about your business. For example, Adnan might use #organichoney when promoting his honey, but if he shared an article about how bees are being threatened, he might use #savethebees. That way, he’s more likely to reach a broader audience – people interested in buying honey and people interested in the environment and saving bee populations.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking site that can introduce you (and your business) to new resources and professionals. It’s a good way to broaden your network, get reactions from professionals in the same industry, view the competition, and bounce new ideas off others. When you’re introduced to a contact by one of your trusted connections, you start the working relationship at a far better point compared to a “cold call.” You can also set up a business page, as well as a page for yourself, and it helps you project a very professional image. You can join groups, contribute to discussions, and follow relevant industry leaders. LinkedIn also has very good search engine rankings, so if you have a page for your business, the LinkedIn profile is very likely to be in the top search results if someone Googles your business name.
Business Blogging
A blog is a useful tool for communicating with existing customers (and employees if you have them) to share knowledge and expertise, push more traffic to your website (which can lead to more customers), and to connect with potential clients/customers. It’s especially helpful for small businesses as it gives you an opportunity to share knowledge with a large audience (usually for free). There are lots of blogging software options to choose from, including WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, and Medium.

WHAT SHOULD YOU WRITE ABOUT?

• Best practices and tips (related to your business/industry/field)
• Article links, but also your reactions and opinions to current trends and news
• How-to guides
• Company/product information or updates

It can also be very helpful to follow other blogs to keep up to date and also to get ideas for your business. Don’t forget to share links to your blog posts on your social media pages!

YouTube
YouTube enables you to market your business to millions of people, with no big budget required. All you need is a video camera and a little creativity!
WHAT IS YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR?

Inform – Tell people about your company mission and values; what do you do? (Remember your vision and positioning statements.)
Educate – “How-to” or a service demo (e.g., June could do a video on How to Organize Your Home Office)
Entertain – Show off your past events and work! (e.g., Adnan could make a video of Behind the Scenes at the Farmer’s Market.)

To make it even more effective, make sure that you have a link to your channel on your Facebook, LinkedIn, and your professional blog and website. Don’t forget to Tweet and post updates about your videos!

If you include descriptions with keywords (i.e., the kinds of words people would use to find the topic) and links back to your website, this will make it much easier for people to find your videos if they do a Google search

Where is the money? You can have the best business idea in the world, but if you don’t answer this question, you won’t last long!

You’ve already created your customer experience map, taking into account your target customer’s needs. Now it’s time to go through this experience again and look for revenue-generating activities; where in your customer experience would it be appropriate to insert charges or fees?

Revenue = The amount of money from all activities that a company actually receives during a specific period. It’s the “top line” or “gross income” figure from which your costs are then subtracted to figure out your net income. Basically, it’s how much you’ve earned in total, before you subtract any costs/expenses.

Net Income = Your revenue minus your costs (i.e., how much you have at the end of the day).

There are many different options for generating revenue. You don’t need to only have one money-making element in your business. What you’re looking for is appropriate “revenue streams.” Revenue streams are all the possible ways you can make money, as it relates to your ideal customer experience.
Why is identifying revenue streams important?

• It helps you think about more ways to make money.
• It helps you think about where your focus should be.
• It helps you think about how you can evolve or grow your business.

How do you do it?

• STEP 1
• STEP 2
• STEP 3

Go through your customer experience map, look at all the activities you’re going to be doing in your business, and brainstorm all possible ways of making money. Don’t just focus on the point of sale. There may be opportunities for some small early sales or for follow-up products or services. There may be opportunities for additional products or services at the cash out point. For example, think of a grocery store. While you’re waiting for a cashier, you’re often kept waiting next to shelves with different small items to buy, like magazines or candy.

Group the ways of making money into streams that are possible in the coming year and also in the future. That means you need to think about which of the items you’ve identified on your customer journey are things you can do right now, and which are better as future activities.

Pick your top 3 revenue streams for the coming year and try to estimate how much money you will make. List any assumptions you can make or potential unknowns. Don’t get too tied up with the math here. The important thing is that you start to think about how to calculate potential sales, what you might be able to charge for your product or service, and the types of things that might impact your sales. Don’t worry if this feels intimidating; we’ll be looking more at finances in the next few lessons, so do your best.

What are some possible revenue streams?
There are lots of different examples of revenue-generating opportunities out there (not all will apply to your business):

PRODUCT/SERVICE SALES
Sell your product/service. Example: June sells her professional organizing services.

Sell your content. Example: June sells self-help guides to organizing your home or business, or allows people to download these from her website for a fee.
ADVERTISING SALES
Get others to advertise on your website, space for money. Example: Adnan gets paid to advertise the local farmer’s market on his website.
BROKERAGE FEE
Sell someone else’s product/service and get a cut. Example: Adnan sells a friend’s organic jams at his stall and gets a cut for all the jars he sells.
WARRANTIES/AFTER CARE
Charge for maintenance. Example: Tony could charge a fee to franchisees for maintenance on their aquaculture systems.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Charge monthly/yearly fee for product/service. Example: Adnan could offer a service where customers pay a monthly fee and get a new selection of honey delivered each month.
RENT
Rent out space or equipment. Example: Shirley rents out her art gallery space for events after hours.
LICENSING
License out your intellectual property. Example: your designs, song, writing, processes, technology, etc.
“FREEMIUM”/PREMIUM
Offer a free version of your basic products or services and then charge a fee for the premium version. Example: June could offer some basic organizing tips on her website for free, but charge a fee for more in-depth premium content like “how to” videos.

PAY WHAT YOU CAN
Get donations from people for your product and services. Example: June might start out offering “pay what you can” donations for her organizational services to build her client base and get testimonials.

Here are some potential revenue stream examples from the Grow-Well baby food business:

• Food sales – per product or subscription
• Sell advertising spot on Grow-Well website
• Cooking classes for parents
• Referral commission from partners
• Delivery fee
• Washing services – reusable containers
• Consultation (e.g., nutrition, meal planning)
• Sell baby-safe containers and tableware
• Rent out commercial kitchen
• Cookbooks and recipe cards

Once you’ve brainstormed where your money might come from, think about any assumptions you can make about these revenue streams and any possible related unknowns. What are the things that you still need to find out in order to know for certain how much you will charge/earn from this?

Here’s another example from the Grow-Well business, so you can get an idea of what we mean:

Because you’ve started to think about your potential revenue, it’s important to also figure out what capabilities and resources you’ll need so you can deliver your product or service.

Capabilities = skills/abilities

Resources = actual materials, equipment, machines

The best place to start is with a Process or Production Map. This is similar to your customer experience map, but instead of showing the experience of the business from your customer’s perspective, the Process or Production Map shows what is going on behind the scenes. It’s the picture of the business from your perspective as the business owner.
Why is a Process/Production map important?

• This is what you need or need to do to make the customer experience work.
• It helps identify what specific things you need to be able to deliver your main product/service.
• It helps you think about more effective ways to operate, while satisfying your customers’ needs.

How do you do it?

• STEP 1
• STEP 2

Drawing from your customer experience map, write down what you have to do to fulfill an order your customer has made (i.e., the process from the moment the customer makes a purchase to the stage where the service/product is delivered).

Think about how the process will change for a large volume of orders. List any limitations and brainstorm and write down possible solutions for overcoming these.
What capabilities or resources do you need?
You need to figure out all the elements – from specific skills to equipment – that are needed to make your main idea come true and plan how you’re going to get what you need.
Why is this important?

• It helps you think about exactly what you need to create the best customer experience possible.
• It helps you think about creative ways to get resources without spending money.
• It helps you plan your next steps to start or enhance your business.

How do you do it?

• STEP 1
• STEP 2

Review your Production/Process map, and write down everything you need to do (create, borrow, buy, rent, etc.) to make this happen.

Think about the cost (money, time, favours, trades, etc.) for each item. Be creative about how you can make it happen without spending money.

Try to be as specific as possible as you build this list. It doesn’t have to be perfect the first time, and you might need to add or change things as you think of new items or skills, but the more you can prepare ahead of time, the easier it will be. Keep your cost estimates realistic.
Goal-setting Steps

• STEP 1
• STEP 2
• STEP 3
• STEP 4

Define your SMART goal. Be as specific as you can. Include any costs associated with achieving that goal. Try to summarize your goal in one sentence: for instance, “I will make a list of all my spending categories,” or “I’ll save for a flight to visit my family in Saskatoon for a week.”

Outline the steps towards your financial goal. Write down all the steps you’ll need to take, whether big or small. This will give you a clear path toward your goal.

Look at the challenges and think of strategies for dealing with them. There are often roadblocks on the path to achieving our goals. Think about what some of these might be. What resources and knowledge do you have to overcome them?

Set deadlines. Having a deadline for your goal is a great way to keep you on track. You may want to set deadlines for each step as well. Achieving each step will keep you motivated to the finish!
What is a budget?

A budget is a way to keep track of your money. It’s a summary of your income (how much money comes in) and expenses (how much money goes out) over a certain period of time. It’s also an excellent tool for telling you how much money you have, how much you need, and what you spend your money on. It’s a snapshot of your financial goals and a roadmap to help you manage your money and plan for the future. As you can imagine, this is very important for business owners!
Why budget?

• You can be more aware of what you spend your money on
• You can find areas where you can spend less and save more
• You can take control of your finances and feel more confident
• You can pay bills on time and avoid late fees
• You can reduce your stress or anxiety around money
• You can reduce or pay off your debt
• You can save for long-term goals (e.g., paying for school, funding your business, retirement)
• You can have more money to spend on the things that are important to you!

Income and Expenses
First you need to think about where your money is coming from (your income). Maybe you have a part time job. Maybe you’re running your business already. Maybe you get government benefits or student loans. These are all income sources.

Next, you need to think about what you spend your money on (your expenses). Expenses come in two different types: fixed or variable. What does this mean?

FIXED EXPENSES
These are your expenses that don’t really change much from month to month. Examples include your rent, your electricity bill, or your cell phone bill.

These are your expenses that will change month to month. Examples include going out for dinner, going to see a movie with your friends, or buying someone a gift.

To create a budget, you need to know what your income and your expenses are, and you need to get organized before you begin.
Making Your Own Budget

• STEP 1
• STEP 2
• STEP 3
• STEP 4
• STEP 5

Step 1: Get Ready
Gather all the papers you need, including:

• Pay stubs
• Stubs from government cheques or direct deposit notices
• Receipts
• Bills
• Bank and credit card statements
• Loan documents

Step 2: Income Sources
List all your sources of income in a month. Put down how much you get from each source in a month. Then add them up. This is your Total Monthly Income.
Step 3: Expenses
List all your expense categories (e.g., transportation costs, living expenses). Fill in the amounts for the fixed expenses first. These are likely listed on a bill or don’t change each month. Next, do your best to estimate how much you spend in each of your variable categories.
Seasonal spending: Includes things like yearly insurance costs, back-to-school clothes for the kids, or holiday gift buying. Divide the total yearly cost by 12 to get an average monthly amount. Include that as a fixed expense in your monthly budget.
Example: You get a bill each year for $800 in car insurance. Divide $800 by 12. You get $66.67. That is your fixed monthly cost for car insurance.
Pay yourself first: If you want to save towards a goal, take the total cost of your goal and divide it by the number of months you want to save up for it. Include that as a fixed expense in your budget.
Example: In a year and a half, you plan to buy a new computer. It will cost $1,000. Divide $1,000 by 18 months. You get $55.56. That is your fixed monthly savings expense for your goal.
Savings tip: You can transfer the amounts for seasonal costs and savings goals out of your spending account into separate savings accounts. If you do that each month, the money builds up. It’ll be there for you to spend when you need it.
Step 4: Do the Math
Add up your Total Monthly Expenses. Subtract this amount from your Total Monthly Income. Do you have money left over? Or are you spending more than you earn?
Step 5: Revise Your Budget
If your expenses are more than your income, think honestly and realistically. Where can you cut back on expenses? Where can you increase your income? Should you change your savings goals?

• Remember your SMART goals
• Keep it simple
• Be honest and realistic, and connect your spending to your values
• Remember you might have to make trade-offs or sacrifices
• Budget for the unexpected (because life happens!)
• Budget for larger items that occur once a year
• Include debts and savings in your budget
• Keep accurate records and stay organized
• Plan for change and review your budget regularly
• Be patient – old spending habits can be hard to break and new ones hard to stick to
• Look for support – ask someone you trust to help review your progress
• Try keeping track of every dollar you spend for a month… it might surprise you!

It may sound strange, but try to enjoy budgeting. Set aside some time, put on your favourite music, and make it a fun process. Planning for your future will set you up for success!
How to Save Money

• STEP 1
• STEP 2
• STEP 3
• STEP 4
• STEP 5
• STEP 6
• STEP 7
• STEP 8

Step 1
Define a couple of concrete goals for the medium term (this year) or longer term (beyond a year) that you need/want to save up for.

Step 2
Research different options. Shop around, do your research, and talk to other people who have made a similar purchase. Are there any other hidden costs involved?
Step 3
Decide when to achieve your goal. What is your time frame? Is it realistic?
Step 4
Figure out how much you’ll need to save each month to reach your goal by your timeline.
Step 5
“Reality Check.” Can you afford to save this amount? If not, make adjustments. You may need to increase your savings time frame or find ways to decrease your monthly expenses or increase your income. You might also have to decide which goal is most important to you and plan to save for that first.
Step 6
Set up a system. Pay yourself first with automatic transfers to a savings account, put all your change in a jar, or round up your debit card purchase and have a bank deposit this into a savings account. Find a system that works for you.
Step 7
Write it down and make a personal commitment toward saving for your goal.
Step 8
Problem Solving. Think about what might get in the way of saving for your goal and how you’ll solve it.

In Finances 101: Your Relationship with Money, we used the lottery example and mentioned that often spending (even imaginary spending) gets divided into wants vs. needs, but what does this mean?

A NEED is something that is essential for survival.

A WANT is something that makes life more convenient, enjoyable, or fulfilling.

Think about the things you’ve spent money on in the last two weeks (e.g., coffee, parking, clothes, meals out, public transit). Go to My Notebook  and jot down the items, and then identify whether each item is a need or a want. Can you see places you might be able to cut down on spending or spend it on a different priority?
Interest as a Way to Save
When we put our money in a savings account, we’re lending our money to the bank. The bank pays us interest for the use of our money. Interest is a percentage of that money, usually based on a yearly rate.

There are two different kinds of interest:

SIMPLE INTEREST
This is when the bank pays us the same amount of interest every month/year, as a percentage of the money we put in.

COMPOUND INTEREST
This is when the amount of interest grows every year because the bank pays interest on what we put in, plus the interest we earned. It grows faster if you keep putting more money in, and it can make a big difference to our savings over the long term.

Challenge 2: Creating a Budget
Your task is to put together a budget for one of the listed scenarios on the Creating a Budget worksheet below (note: you don’t have to do all four, but you can if you’d like more practice). Use the Monthly Budget worksheet (below the Creating a Budget worksheet) to put together the budget. Feel free to make up more details for your scenario if you need to.  You can also change or add categories to the budget to match your person’s situation.

Your goals for this process:

• Income and expenses should balance (be equal) or there should be money left over
• Budget must stay realistic
• If you can’t make a realistic, balanced budget, think about the options for changing your person’s situation.

You have to know what it’ll cost you to make a product, sell a product, or provide a service. Costing is the way we calculate just how much each individual product or service costs to produce and sell. A lot of businesses get into trouble because they don’t know their costs, but it’s so important, because once you know your costs, you can set your prices, find ways to reduce those costs, and make improvements to your business.
Types of Costs
In any business, there are two types of costs: direct costs and indirect costs.

Direct costs + Indirect costs = Total Costs

Sometimes it can be hard to identify what is a direct cost versus an indirect cost, but according to Business News Dailyand Investopedia, direct costs are directly linked to the production of a specific service or product. These costs might change over time (i.e., the costs are variable), especially as your rate of production changes, but they can also be fixed.

Indirect costs are those costs that might be needed for production, but they aren’t directly linked to the actual production itself; they’re the price of maintaining your business overall. It’s easiest to think of indirect costs as the prerequisites or the “must haves” for the production of your specific service/product/goods. Indirect costs can also be fixed or variable. The examples below will help clarify this further.

DIRECT COST EXAMPLES
Direct cost examples might include raw materials, equipment, and software, but also the salary paid to someone who worked on the product, because this labour cost is directly linked to the production and is a specific “cost object.”

INDIRECT COST EXAMPLES
Indirect cost examples include the materials and supplies you need to keep your business running day to day. Examples include rent, advertising, marketing, cell phones, computers, cleaning products, utilities, etc. These aren’t directly linked to making your product or running your service, but they’re essential to your business operations.

Startup Costs
It’s important to factor in what’s known as startup costs when you set up a business; these are the expenses that come up during the initial process of creating a new business (compared to the costs once your business is up and running).

To figure out startup costs:

• List any business assets (what you own) with their current market value.
• List the items that you need for ‘business startup,’ including their costs, as well as whether it’s your contribution or if it comes from loans or another specific source.

If you’ve completed your Process/Production map, you should have a good sense of what these costs might be, but make sure you’ve written them down (and factored in unexpected costs too!).
Pricing a Product
Adnan will be selling a product, so if he’s trying to figure out what to charge for his honey, he needs to answer these questions:

• What are similar businesses charging?
• What does it cost to produce that product (the direct costs)?
• What is a good “margin” to charge over and above the cost of production? Is it competitive with the other similar businesses?

Once he’s answered these questions, Adnan should have a concrete number in mind. However, he also needs to factor in the indirect costs:

• At the price he decided on, how many units will he have to sell every month to cover his indirect costs? (break-even analysis)
• Is that a reasonable goal or will he need to raise the price?
• Will he be earning a reasonable and realistic profit?

If you just cover your costs, then your business will only be breaking even and not actually making you any money. Some businesses break even in their first year or two, and then start showing a profit; you have to figure out if you can afford this or not!
Pricing a Service

If your business focus is on providing a service, like June’s personal organizer business, you need to look at some slightly different factors. You should still look at what similar businesses are charging, but you also need to answer these questions:

• What are typical industry labour charges in the same field?
• Would you use a flat fee or an hourly or daily rate?

In order to set a rate for your service, it’s best to think about the annual income that you want to earn and then work backwards:

• How many hours per week will you be working?
• How many of those hours/time will actually be income earning? (subtract any time spent on things like marketing or administration)

Once you’ve figured out your hours and what you want to earn in a year, you then need to divide the potential number of worked hours into your income goal.

Next, you need to factor in your indirect costs:

• How many clients will you need or how many hours of work are you going to need to “sell” each month to cover all your costs? (break-even analysis)
• Is that a reasonable goal or do you need to up the price?
• Will you be earning a realistic and reasonable profit?

Using your research skills will help you as you figure this all out.
Sales Forecasts
Accurate sales figures are the most important steps in developing an estimate of the amount of money you expect to get and to pay out of your business (known as a cash flow forecast – more on this later). Unfortunately for new businesses, a lack of history makes it challenging to figure out the numbers. You have to know how much you plan to sell in the next 12 months, though, in order to plan how much to spend. This is known as a sales forecast.

An accurate sales forecast will:

• Increase your chances of business success
• Show the money/financial potential of your business and how likely it is that your business will succeed
• Assist a lender in understanding your business
• Tell you how much money you need and how long it’ll last
• Assist with your marketing and advertising.

So, as a business owner, you need to make sure you’ve figured out a price for your product/service, and that your product/service is actually priced to sell. You also have to consider if seasonal changes might have an impact on your business. For example, will winter interrupt Adnan’s honey business because the bees won’t produce as much honey then?

Take a look at this sample sales forecast from the Grow-Well business to get a sense of what a completed sales forecast would look like.
Cash Flow Forecasts/Projections
Cash flow forecasts or projections are incredibly important when it comes to running a business, especially because a negative cash flow equals business failure.
What is cash flow?
This refers to the money that comes in and goes out of your business.

Cash in = cash that comes into your business from selling its products/services

Cash out = cash that goes out of your business from producing its products/services

Managing your cash flow is all about planning. Successful cash flow management means you schedule cash to come in as soon as possible when you start your business and that you hang onto cash as long as possible. You achieve a positive cash flow when money is coming in to your business faster than it goes out.

It’s really important to be proactive rather than reactive – what this means is that you’re anticipating what mighthappen rather than reacting to something that actually happens. For example, Adnan could stock up on enough honey in advance to sell during the winter, so even if his bees aren’t producing enough, he can still make sales. If he plans for this before the winter, it means he isn’t scrambling to figure out a solution in the middle of winter!

Remember, you need to factor in anything that might impact your business when you’re figuring out your cash flow projections. For example:

• Holidays
• Seasonal changes and weather
• Community events
• Sporting events
• Other issues

Remember your STEEP analysis? It’d be a good idea to go back and review this, as there may be information you’ve already gathered that can help you.

CASH FLOW IN

• Product/service sales income (the price you charge x the amount you sell)
• Loan proceeds
• Owner contributions (e.g., your savings)
• Other cash sources (e.g., sales of your assets – what you own)

CASH FLOW OUT

• Startup costs and asset purchases
• Direct costs (e.g., raw materials, inventory)
• Operating expenses
• Loan payments

Maximize Your Cash Flow
It’s always good to try to look for ways to maximize your cash flow. This can be done by reducing expenses (where necessary and realistic); you might need to scale back a bit as you’re getting started, but that’s better than ending up with a negative cash flow. You can also try to get rid of unnecessary expenses, ask customers to pay cash for their purchases (to eliminate credit card fees, for example), or get customers to pay a deposit on large orders.

It’s also very important to invoice customers on time to ensure you get paid sooner rather than later, and that it’s clear when and how payment is expected, as well as any penalties for late payments. You can consider offering a discount on early invoice payment. You can also charge a deposit or retainer upfront for work in progress. It’s very important, too, to keep track of past due accounts and actively pursue collections.

Practice good cash flow management by

• Accurately forecasting sales and monitoring how quickly customers pay
• Developing minimum inventory policies and needs (i.e., figure out just how much stock you need and don’t overbuy)
• Developing effective payment collection and invoicing practices
• Controlling your cash outflow – turn sales quickly into real money in your pocket
• Knowing when you’ll need more cash (e.g., to restock, buy a new computer, etc.).

For an idea of what a completed cash flow statement/projection looks like, take a look at this example from the Grow-Well business.
The Operating Cycle
Now, let’s take a look at the operating cycle of a business. This refers to the number of days it takes for a business to receive inventory, sell that inventory, and collect cash from those sales. It can be split into two phases: the purchase cycle and the sales cycle.

The purchase cycle includes the steps taken to order and pay for products that a business requires, otherwise known as inventory.

The sales cycle includes the steps taken to sell inventory and collect cash. There could be a delay in your sales cycle between the amount of time the customer receives the product and the amount of time you receive cash. The amount that you are owed is called Accounts Receivable (AR). For example, Adnan would have an Account Receivable when he delivers honey to a customer on June 1 and the customer is allowed to pay 30 days from then.

How does knowing your operating cycle help your business?
Knowing the steps involved and your operating cycle timeline can help you strategize to shorten that cycle. It can help you plan your cash flow and forecast your sales. It can also help you achieve your financial goals.
How do you calculate your operating cycle timeline?
First, you need to figure out the steps involved, based on your type of business.

PRODUCTS

If you’re producing products, then your business activities will look something like this:

1. Buy the raw materials (purchase cycle)
2. Pay for the raw materials (purchase cycle)
3. Produce the product (production cycle)
4. Sell the product (sales cycle)
5. Collect cash from the customer (sales cycle)

If you’re in a retail setting, like Adnan’s dad, then your cycle might be like this:

1. Buy the product to sell (purchase cycle)
2. Pay for the product (purchase cycle)
3. Sell the product (sales cycle)
4. Collect cash from the customer (sales cycle)

SERVICES

If you’re selling services, like June, then your operating cycle obviously won’t include inventory. Instead, your business activities would start with the sales cycle (i.e., marketing and selling the service to your client). Then you would perform the service, and the sales cycle would be complete when you collect cash from the customer.

Remember, these are just examples of operating cycles; yours might be different depending on your business type and your customer experience map.
So, when can you calculate your operating cycle timeline?
Once you know the steps in your operating cycle, you can calculate how much time each step takes and then build a timeline. Take a look at the example below:

This timeline example includes 45 inventory days and 45 Accounts Receivable days. This means that, on average, there are 90 days in the operating cycle (i.e., 90 days between buying inventory and receiving cash from the customer for the sale of that inventory).
How do longer or shorter operating cycles impact a business?
The longer the operating cycle, the longer the business has to wait before it has more cash. If you’re paying for directs costs on credit, this means that your business could be charged more interest. For a small business, it could mean that production may slow down because there aren’t enough funds going into the business. You should aim to have as short an operating cycle as possible (without cutting corners) to be more efficient and successful.

How do you shorten your operating cycle?

1. Speed up your sales of inventory – if you’re able to quickly sell your products, your operating cycle will decrease.
2. Reduce the time for collecting Accounts Receivables – if you’re able to quickly collect cash from sales, your cycle will decrease.

A lot of the work you’ve done up to this point will help you as you work out the finances of your business. Go back to your customer experience map, look at your revenue streams analysis, review your process/production map, review what you need to do to deliver your product or service, and what resources and capabilities you need to make it happen.

As part of your overall business plan, it’s very helpful to figure out who your competitors and your potential business partners might be. Sometimes one organization/person could be either a partner or a competitor, depending on how you structure your business. Sometimes we might even revise our business plan depending on who out there might be competing with us or who might be a potential partner.
Friend or Foe?
Partnerships can provide you with many resources and skills you don’t have. It’s important to think about what the partners would want in order to sustain good relationships with them.

What your competitors do can impact your business. By identifying who your competitors are, and by learning more about them, you can find ways to make your business different.

You’ll discover that most of the people or organizations that you may at first have thought of as “competitors” are actually potential “partners,” if you look at them and approach them in the right way. If you can swing it, it’s much better to have a number of organizations helping you, rather than competing with you!
How do you figure out your partners and competition?

• STEP 1
• STEP 2
• STEP 3

Step 1
Use your Landscape of Players analysis to identify potential partners and competitors for your business. Let’s use the Grow-Well baby food business as an example

Step 2
Based on the outcomes of your Capabilities and Resources Analysis and Revenue/Income Streams exploration (i.e., the ‘What do I need to make it happen?’ and ‘Where is the money?’ challenges) think about the following:

• • Could there be other potential partners or competitors?
  • Is it possible that the roles change depending on your business strategy?

For example, online experts and bloggers could help promote Grow-Well and its brand, but if part of what Grow-Well wants to offer is online information on nutrition for parents, then maybe Grow-Well would be competing with those online experts

Step 3
Define your top 5 partners and competitors. For partners, think about what you want from them and what would make them want to work with you, as opposed to with your competitors. For competitors, think about what they are really good at and how you could differentiate yourself from them, because of what you’re really good at.

GROW-WELL PARTNERS

Grow-Well Top 5 Partners

GROW-WELL COMPETITORS

Doing a thorough analysis of your potential partners and competitors, and understanding how you can stand out from the crowd is a very important part of being an entrepreneur.

In Lesson 7: Let’s Experiment we looked at experimenting with your ideas by creating a prototype and getting feedback. Now, because we’ve looked more at costs and we’ve talked about how important it is to keep your costs as low as possible, let’s look more at experiments and how they help keep costs down. Compared to a prototype, especially a low-fi prototype, experiments can be more concrete.

Testing an element of your business idea that you’re unsure about by running small experiments and trying things out for cheap or for free before you put any large amounts of money in is a great strategy! You can gain valuable learning that will shed light on uncertainties and potential risks in your business.
How do I do it?

• STEP 1
• STEP 2

Step 1
Review your capabilities, resources, and revenue analysis and list your top 3 questions or unknowns.

Step 2
For each question, design experiments that could give you more insights on the answers to the question/unknown.

Now let’s look at how the Grow-Well business might figure out what experiments to run and what to test:

Question/Unknown

Do people care about organic ingredients?

Experiment 1

Post options on my Facebook and see which one people like more. If more than 50 people out of 100 like it, I’ll start an exclusive offering of organic foods on my website.

Experiment 2

Offer free services (only pay for ingredients) to a group of friends with babies but let them choose what kind of ingredients they want. If more than 30% prefer organic ingredients, I’ll start an exclusive offering of organic foods on my website.

Experiment 3

Offer a free service (only pay for ingredients) trial at a local food festival but ask people to choose ingredients. If more than 30% prefer organic, I will start an exclusive offering of organic foods on my website.

Creating realistic, helpful, cheap/free experiments is a great way to test your ideas and get answers. They also give you more detail and focus, as well as potential income, than prototyping.
Action Planning
You’ve been working on a business plan, setting SMART goals, and moving forward; essentially, you’ve developed an action plan (or multiple action plans) already. At this point, though, a concrete action plan for your first year of business can be really useful, as it pulls lots of these different things together.
What is an action plan?
It’s where you define your goals and the steps you need to achieve them.
Why bother?
It helps you prioritize what needs to get done, and you can focus on using your resources and time on what matters most.
How do you do it?
Think about the following questions; your answers = your action plan!

• STEP 1
• STEP 2

Step 1
What is your Year 1 Goal that can be measured? (e.g., revenue for your first year, number of customers you want to reach, etc.)

Step 2
What are the activities in the next 3 months that will lead you to this goal?

Let’s look at Grow-Well’s action plan:

My Year 1 Goal

• Total annual revenue: $50,000
• Get 100 customer reviews

My activities in the next 3 months:

• Get a food-handling licence
• Source commercial kitchen for rental
• Build a website
• Develop 20 recipes
• Test products with friends

This action plan will help get you on your way to your first year of business!
Corporations
A corporation is a legal structure that separates a business from its owner/operator. When you incorporate your business, you become a shareholder (as does anyone else who invests in the business), and you’re not personally liable for any of the debts, actions, or obligations of the corporation. Management is, however, responsible to the shareholders of the business. It can be expensive to set up a corporation, and you have to keep very detailed corporate records and must file documentation annually with the government. You might also need to provide proof of citizenship or residency. The advantages are it’s often easier to raise money for a business when it’s a corporation (compared to other business structures), and tax rates can be lower. You’re also not personally liable if anything goes wrong.

You can incorporate your business on a provincial/territorial level or on the federal level. Incorporating on a federal level means you can do business using the same business name in all provinces and territories, though you might still need to register your business in individual provinces/territories, depending on their rules. There are different types of corporations, like private and public corporations, so you’d also need to choose the best type for your situation.

The different types of business structures we’ve discussed impact the type of tax returns you file each year. For example, with corporations, your revenue/income and expenses are filed using a corporate income tax return, whereas with sole proprietorships and partnerships, your revenue and expenses are included and filed on your personal income tax forms.

WHAT ARE A BUSINESS’S OBLIGATIONS TO THE CANADA REVENUE AGENCY (CRA)?

A business’s obligations to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) include:

• File appropriate tax returns (personal tax return for sole proprietorships)
• Pay taxes you owe by April 15th (file by June 15th)
• Collect GST/HST and remit to CRA as and when applicable
• Maintain accurate and complete documentation to support items detailed on tax returns

Many expenses from your business can qualify as income tax deductions – this means that certain things like travel and home office space can reduce how much tax you have to pay each year. Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) can be especially useful for reducing the amount of tax you have to pay (if you have a sole proprietorship or partnership). Because you can claim certain items/expenses, this means you have to keep track of all your receipts and make sure you’re doing proper bookkeeping and record management (more on this in Lesson 14: Order to Chaos).
WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS EXPENSES CAN YOU DEDUCT FROM YOUR BUSINESS INCOME?

The best thing to do is to consult the CRA website to find out more about what forms to use, what to claim, etc. You may also want to hire an accountant, especially if your business is a corporation. The CRA offers online options to keep track of your tax information and to file your tax returns online. You can also use external CRA-approved tax software for filing. Note that different tax deadlines apply for different types of business structures, as well as if you are registered for GST/HST.
GST/HST Registration
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a federal sales tax of 5% that is added to the majority of the goods and services we buy and sell in Canada (though some items are exempt or zero rated). The basic difference between zero-rated and exempt goods and services is that you can claim input tax credits (more on this later) for anything zero rated but not for anything that is exempt.

GST can be combined with a province’s Provincial Sales Tax (PST) – this is known as Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). Whether you charge HST, GST, or GST and PST depends on where you live and the nature of your business.
What does this mean for your business?
It can get a little complicated, so we’ve tried to cover the basics here for you. Registering for a GST/HST account is mandatory for all small businesses that make a gross annual revenue over $30,000 (this means you make over $30,000 before expenses), unless your product/service is GST/HST exempt or zero rated. If your business earns under $30,000 (classified as a small supplier), you can still choose to voluntarily register. Some business advisers recommend this, because it makes your business seem more professional or successful to your potential customers. Do you want to advertise that your business is earning under $30,000? Does it matter? Take some time to think about this .

Once you’re registered for a GST/HST account, you then have to charge Canadian customers GST/HST on any taxable goods and services you sell in Canada. Obviously if you aren’t registered, you can’t charge customers GST/HST. Registration is done through the CRA, except in Quebec, where registration is through Revenu Québec. Once registered, you have to let your customers or clients know that you’re charging them GST/HST – the most common way is via your receipts, invoices, or contracts.

Each time you bill a customer/client and receive payment that includes GST/HST, you have to collect that GST/HST and set it aside; it’s not part of your profits. You then have to file a GST/HST return – this is separate from your income tax filing and usually has different deadlines based on when you register. You pay (or remit) the GST/HST you’ve collected to the government, either in installments or in one lump sum. The CRA will tell you what your reporting period is once you register; this means the length of time you have to track and collect the GST/HST before you file a return (it’s usually a calendar year). The CRA will also let you know if you need to pay in installments.

Once you start charging GST/HST, depending on the purchase or expense, you might be able to get back the GST/HST that you pay or owe on purchases and expenses – in the form of input tax credits (ITC). The purchases and expenses you claim must be directly related to your business activities; if you aren’t using what you bought directly for your business, then you can’t claim an ITC for it. Again, this means you have to do some careful record keeping to make sure you know how much GST/HST you’ve paid.

You can find out more about GST/HST on the CRA website.

When you run a small business, no matter the type, you’ll likely have lots of different relationships that include some form of obligation or commitment. This is where contracts come in. Although you’ll often see the words contract and agreement used as if they’re the same thing, there is a slight difference between the two:

Contract: An agreement between parties that creates legally enforceable obligations.

Agreement: A mutual understanding between parties in terms of their rights and responsibilities.

We want to focus more specifically on contracts. Although a verbal contract is still considered a legal contract, and you can have a combination of written and verbal contracts, it’s much better to have a written contract and to make it as specific as possible, especially if it’s a long-term contract. Having a proper contract in place protects everyone involved.

Although there’s no specific format to a contract, there are six key things you need to make sure your contract is valid and can be enforced by a court. You can still have a contract without all these things; it just means that if any of them are missing, you can’t ask a court to enforce the contract.
OFFER, ACCEPTANCE, AND MUTUAL CONSENT
The first three elements are closely related, so we’ve grouped them together. Every contract has to not just make an offer, but it also has to include acceptance of that offer. Everyone involved in the contract also has to accept the contract of their own free will and must agree to all the terms (mutual consent).

CONSIDERATION
This means that there has to be something of value exchanged between the contract parties. This can be in the form of goods, services, or money, but if there’s no exchange, then it’s a gift, not a contract

COMPETENCE
Everyone involved in the contract has to be “of sound mind” to understand the situation and the terms of the contract. “Competence” in this case also means that neither group can be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, be mentally deficient, or be minors.

LEGAL PURPOSE
Contracts have to have a legal purpose (i.e., you can’t have a contract if it relates to criminal activity!).

Remember, if your contract doesn’t include the items above, then it can’t be enforced in court.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DETAILS CONTRACTS USUALLY INCLUDE?

Some of the specific details that contracts usually contain include:

• Length of contract
• Details of who is involved
• Termination conditions (i.e., what happens if you need to end the contract)
• Definitions of terms used within the contract
• Key dates, deadlines, or milestones
• Payment, warranty, damages information
• Any special conditions

It can be useful to look up different types of contracts online, so you can get a good sense of what different contracts look like and what they include. You may also need to get legal advice to draw up a contract to make sure you’ve covered all the necessary details.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE YOU SIGN A CONTRACT?

Before you sign a contract, make sure you:

• Take your time to think about it – don’t feel pressured to sign right away
• Read every single word (including any fine print) and understand everything
• Get legal advice
• Check that the contract includes the six key elements and that it reflects the terms and conditions it’s supposed to
• Don’t leave any blank space – cross this out so that it can’t be filled in by someone else later
• Initial any changes made (and the other party does too)
• Get a signed copy for your own records.

What does a business plan look like?
Although there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach in terms of look or length, most business plans usually include these sections/details:

• An Executive Summary
• Business profile or company overview
• Market research and target market information
• Marketing strategy details
• Operations information
• Financial plans

The different challenges you’ve worked on and tasks you’ve completed in this course all fit into your business plan sections, so you’ll need to ensure you’ve finished all the Lesson challenges so far to be able to complete your plan. Remember, you’ll most likely need to adapt or rewrite some of the information you have from your challenges to fit the format of a business plan – you can’t just cut and paste everything!

By now, you should’ve had a chance to look at the Grow-Well business plan example in My Backpack; this is an example of a detailed business plan. You can also put together what’s called a “lean” business plan (see below). This is a more condensed version of a business plan, but it still covers the same kind of information as the detailed plan. It’ll give readers a good idea, at a glance, of what you do, who it’s for, and what sets you apart from the competition.

To give you a sense of what a completed “lean” business plan looks like, take a look at this “lean” Grow-Well business plan example. You can also take a look at the template below; it includes instructions on what challenge information goes where and shows you how to format or lay out your “lean” plan. Compare it to the longer Grow-Well version in My Backpack. Can you see how they share similar elements?

LEAN BUSINESS PLAN

Lean Business Plan:

A longer, more detailed business plan can be very useful but tends to be used more for high stakes investment pitches. Take a look at this long form business plan template (with instructions on what goes where) to get a sense of how you might build a longer version using the same types of information as for the “lean” version.

Ultimately, your business plan is your business’s roadmap, so it’s worth investing the time to build a strong written plan. It’ll help guide and inspire you as you continue your business trek

LEAN BUSINESS PLAN

Lean Business Plan:

A longer, more detailed business plan can be very useful but tends to be used more for high stakes investment pitches. Take a look at this long form business plan template (with instructions on what goes where) to get a sense of how you might build a longer version using the same types of information as for the “lean” version.

Ultimately, your business plan is your business’s roadmap, so it’s worth investing the time to build a strong written plan. It’ll help guide and inspire you as you continue your business trek
Elevator Pitches and Elevator Speeches
In Lesson 6: Building Your Vision, we mentioned that elevator pitches answer the question “what do you do?” and that your positioning statement is essentially your elevator pitch. Given they’re a type of business presentation, let’s look at elevator pitches as well as elevator speeches in a bit more detail.

Although both are very short, there’s actually a tiny difference between an elevator pitch and what’s called an elevator speech.

ELEVATOR PITCHES

Although the concept is the same for pitches and speeches – describing what you do in a very short, focused way – pitches are usually done in a more formal setting, like an investor meeting. You’ll probably have a “pitch deck” of presentation slides to show your audience. Sometimes you may end up sharing your pitch and “pitch deck” via email, so investors can take a look and consider your ideas in their own time.

ELEVATOR SPEECHES

Tips for putting together elevator speeches:

• Focus on your positioning statement
• Describe what problem your idea/service/product solves
• Connect with your audience by using engaging language (e.g., “Did you know that…?”)
• Describe your target market
• Explain your solution to the problem and what value you provide
• Show your experience
• Explain your goals (if you’re talking to investors)
• Keep it short
• Have a “takeaway” – make sure your audience has a way to contact you if they are interested and want to know more.

Just remember, you’re doing all of this in a short space of time!

According to Bplans.com, you can use the following formula to create a short elevator speech/pitch:

We offer/make [solution] for [target market] so that [value].

And this one for a longer speech:

Did you know that [target market] have [problem]? I’ve created [solution] that [value]. So far, we’ve [traction]. Now, we’re hoping to [goal]. My team and I have [experience].

In this course, we’re focusing more on the elevator pitch concept, but it’s good to formulate your elevator speeches, as they tie in to the pitch and your positioning statement.
Analyzing Your Audience
You’ve done a lot of work identifying your target customer; it’s the same kind of concept when you’re communicating with any audience. It’s very helpful if you do an analysis of your audience before you present to them. What this means is, like with your target customer profile, you need to think about who your audience is, what they need to know, and what they don’t need to know.

For example, compare presenting your business “pitch” to potential investors versus your target customers. What will each audience care about when it comes to your business? What will help persuade them to invest in you and your ideas or buy your products? Use what you know or can guess about the audience to pick what information to select, how much detail to include, and what type of language to use in terms of how much technical detail they will need (or not need). You can use your persona to guide you for presentations to target customers, and you can consider building a persona for potential investors.

In general, you can use the information and order of your “lean” business plan as your guide for shorter pitches and the longer business plan for longer presentations. Remember your audience, though, as well as any potential restrictions like time, location, and the point of your presentation (e.g., grant application, pitch competition, investor meeting, etc.) as these will also impact the choices you make for your presentation.
Structuring Your Presentation
It can be hard to decide how to structure a presentation, even if you’ve carefully analyzed your audience. Think of your presentation as a story you’re telling your audience – it needs a strong beginning, middle, and end.

OPENING: USE A “HOOK” & AGENDA

Capture your reader’s attention right from the beginning with a strong opening, aka a “hook.” In the case of your business presentation, you might start with your elevator pitch or consider asking your audience an intriguing question, sharing an interesting statistic, showing them an unusual image (that links to your topic), or perhaps pass around a sample of your product – get them interested and paying attention. Don’t forget to also introduce yourself and your business name and run through an agenda that tells your audience what you’re going to cover and in what order.

MIDDLE: FOCUS ON KEY DETAILS
Use your agenda and your business plan to guide the information you share and the order of that information. Keep it focused, and concise – that doesn’t necessarily mean short, but it means you’ve selected your information very carefully to make sure your audience gets the most important, most relevant details for their needs. You don’t need to repeat your business plan word for word, but give your audience the highlights. The more you structure your information with a logical flow from topic to topic, the easier it’ll be for your audience to pay attention to you.

CLOSING: SUM UP & END STRONGLY
Many strong presentations are ruined by a weak ending, where the presenter trails off and mumbles something before rushing off the stage… End strongly and confidently by summing up your key points (don’t just repeat your agenda or the whole presentation but briefly sum up your key points). It can be very helpful to close off with a “next step” or action for your audience. For example, you might encourage them to check out your website or pick up a sample at the end of the presentation. Or, you can also leave them with a final thought – perhaps something that links to your opening “hook” (e.g., show a different, related picture or a different statistic). Once you’ve finished, thank your audience, and then don’t forget to ask for questions! Listen carefully to questions, ask for clarification if you don’t understand the question, and check that you’ve answered the question properly for the audience member.

Being Persuasive
A big part of any business presentation is “selling” yourself and your ideas to your audience. You want to persuade your audience that your product or service is the best option/worth investing in/what they need to solve their problems. So, try to focus on being persuasive – in your language but also in your presentation organization. Use interesting, descriptive language; make numbers and statistics meaningful by using everyday examples to clarify what you mean; and balance out more emotional information and language with logical, fact-based information.

Most audiences want to know “what’s in it for me?”, so make sure you focus on the benefits of your product or service and how it’ll help your audience. Don’t just list off the features of your product/service (its characteristics, elements, qualities, etc.); keep the focus on what it can or will do for the audience (the benefits). Emphasize the “selling points” of your business. What sets you apart?
Overcoming Audience Resistance
Sometimes, no matter how hard you prepare or how great your business idea is, you can face the “Four P’s of Resistance” from your audience:

Product – they don’t like your idea/product/service
Postponement – they like the idea but the timing is off for them
Price – they don’t like the cost or are afraid of hidden costs
Personal – they don’t want to change or they just don’t like you or what you’re offering

The good news is you can strategize and prepare for these “Four P’s.” Think about any questions or objections your audience may have before your presentation and prepare answers and potential solutions. For example, if your audience mentions that your prices are higher than your competition, you can re-emphasize the main benefits and what you do better than your competitors. You might mention long-term return on investment (e.g., it saves money in the long term vs. your competitor’s product), offer discounts for large orders, or suggest a payment plan. If timing is an issue, suggest a trial period or a phasing in of the service/product. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do if they just don’t like the idea but try to focus on the benefits – the what and the why of what you do. Just make sure any responses to objections are realistic and that you keep calm and polite in the face of criticism.
Using Presentation Visuals
Making use of PowerPoint, Prezi, or other presentation slide software can be a great addition to your presentation. It helps you keep track of your presentation, and it also gives the audience something else to look at besides just you! Here are some tips for better presentation visuals:

• Include a title slide (with your name and business name, logo) and an agenda slide (that includes the topics you’re going to cover)
• Keep bullet points short and focused (avoid too much text)
• Keep images relevant and easy to see
• Make sure your font size is large enough
• Proofread carefully for any errors
• Use whitespace effectively (i.e., balance out everything on the slide)
• Keep your slide design consistent, relevant, and not too “busy.”

Remember, visuals are usually better than a chunk of text, so think about how you can balance these out effectively.
Delivering Your Presentation
When we present to an audience, there is a lot going on! It’s not just what we say or our slides/visuals, but also our body language and vocal characteristics. It’s a lot to remember, but take a look at the following potential problems when it comes to presentation delivery.

Yes, a lot can go wrong, but the more you practise your presentation material and be aware of these potential problems, the easier it’ll be. Try videoing yourself; it’s embarrassing, but it’s a great way to figure out where you might be saying “um” a lot or looking at your notes too much or playing with your hair. We don’t know what we look like when we present, so it’s a good way to see what your audience sees.

Tips for improving your delivery:

• Memorize the opening of your presentation and a few key points but not the whole presentation
• Do not read from your notes – present to your audience and use your notes as quick reminders
• Speak clearly at a good pace – not too fast or too slow
• Remember to breathe!
• Try to avoid “fillers” – e.g., “like”, “um”, “ah”
• Avoid slang – keep language conversational but professional
• Keep up your energy and enthusiasm – if you sound bored, your audience will be bored!

Engaging with Your Audience
Even a short presentation can be boring for an audience if they feel disconnected from the presenter. So, how can you make a connection with your audience, without it feeling cheesy or scary?

• Ask questions or opinions (just make sure you’ve prepared responses for possible objections or questions ahead of time)
• Use everyday examples for clarification and adapt the material to your audience’s level
• Use transitions between sections of your presentation (e.g., “Now that I’ve told you a bit about…, let’s move on to…”)
• Keep eye contact with your whole audience (not just one person or no one at all)
• Know your material really well
• Speak clearly and not too slowly, using appropriate volume and energy in your voice
• Practise! Practise! Practise!

The more prepared you are, the smoother the presentation.
Overcoming Nerves
It’s often a case of “fake it till you feel it” when it comes to presentations; you might be very nervous, but if you can project confidence and enthusiasm, and keep a smile on your face and in your voice, you’ll start to feel less nervous. Practise enough times that you feel comfortable with the material, without memorizing your presentation word for word (it’s very obvious when someone has done this; it makes the presenter sound like a robot!). Try to focus on your breathing and maintaining relaxed body language; if you keep yourself from hunching your shoulders or standing stiffly, you can trick your brain into thinking you’re more relaxed than you actually are!

It’s totally normal to lose your place in a presentation; if you do, just move on to your next point. It’s better to keep going, so you don’t get stuck and start to feel more anxious; you can always go back to your previous point when you remember it. Keep focusing on the fact that you’re the expert, so you’re the one with the power in the room. This is your business, and you’re passionate about it, so share that passion and knowledge with your audience, and yes, even try to enjoy the process.

What is bookkeeping?
Bookkeeping refers to the process of recording, storing, and reporting financial transactions like sales, purchases, income, receipts, and payments by an individual or organization. It’s usually done on a day-to-day basis. It’s not the same thing as accounting, but it falls under the same umbrella (see bookkeeping language definitions below).
Why is it important?
Bookkeeping gives you a form of control over your business. It can help you identify any financial issues early, so you can fix them before they severely impact your business. It also helps keep the Canada Revenue Agency happy and means you’ll be ready for any potential future audits. Having to deal with the CRA can disrupt your business if you’re not well organized and prepared. Finally, knowing every aspect of your business means you can present yourself well to your stakeholders (e.g., your investors, shareholders, or any other interested party).

Some bookkeeping language:

ACCOUNT
In bookkeeping, this is different to what we normally think of when it comes to the word “account” (e.g., a bank account). In this context, it means the unique place in your general ledger used for recording your balance, along with any changes to that balance. For example, expenses would be one account/page, revenue another, etc.

ACCOUNTING
BOOKKEEPING CYCLE
CHART OF ACCOUNTS (COA)
CREDITS
DEBITS
ENTRY/ENTRIES
JOURNAL
LEDGER
How do you cover the basics of bookkeeping?
Most bookkeeping these days is done using software, but you can set up two types of spreadsheets to record most of your business transactions:

• Sales journal
• Expenses journal

When you post a transaction to one of these journals, your debits (what you spend) must equal your credits (what you earn) – this is the double-entry method of bookkeeping. Take a look at this table to get a sense of what we mean:

Although this table doesn’t include actual numbers, you can see that where there’s an increase in one column, the other column will decrease, and vice versa. So, for example, if your revenue or earnings go up (credits), then your debits will decrease.
How do you track sales transactions?
When you invoice your clients or customers, make sure your invoices are numbered in sequence. Always issue an invoice for any sales you make, keeping a copy for yourself in a separate digital or physical folder for recording in your sales journal at a later time.

Sales invoices, whether electronic or paper, should always include:

• Your business number
• Date of invoice
• Invoice number
• Description of goods or services provided, including the date of provision, pre-tax sales amount, GST/HST amount, and total amount charged.

You need to then record all sales in your sales journal.

The most common sales accounts found in sales journals include:

• Product sales
• Service revenue
• Sales discounts
• Sales returns and allowances

How do you track expenses?
Because you’re likely to have both digital and physical receipts, make sure you keep an electronic folder as well as an expandable physical folder. Put all your paid receipts in these folders, categorized by expense type. It’s also a very good idea to keep a separate folder for all your unpaid bills, categorized by the month they’ll be due in.

WHAT ARE COMMON EXPENSE ACCOUNTS FOUND IN EXPENSE JOURNALS?

Common expense accounts found in expense journals include:

• Advertising
• Bank service charges
• Depreciation/amortization
• Interest
• Insurance
• Legal and accounting
• Maintenance and repairs
• Rent expense
• Supplies and general office expenditures
• Travel and entertainment
• Telephone and internet
• Utilities
• Vehicle

You need to record all expenses and purchases in your expenses journal.

The documents you need to keep are:

• Receipts paid and unpaid (expandable folders and/or digital folders)
• Sales invoices (expandable folder and/or digital folder)
• Purchase invoices (expandable/digital folder)
• Banking and tax information (3-ring binder and/or digital folder)
• Sales and purchases journals
• Contracts and agreements (3-ring binder and/or digital folder)

Everyone has their own system when it comes to filing and keeping receipts, etc., so you need to find what works for you. It’s very important, though, to be well organized. Keep accurate, detailed records; know what’s going out and what’s coming in to your business; and make the data work for you.
DJ Rise Bookkeeping Activity
So that you can get a better sense of what sales and expenses journals look like and how they work, let’s help out DJ Rise!
Background:
DJ Rise has been a DJ for 10 years and did this as a hobby, playing at special events for friends and family. Beginning September 1st this year, she’s going to compile a few CDs with her original mixes and hopes to sell them to customers that have shown interest already, before she moves into digital sales. She’ll have to purchase the blank CDs and get labels printed on them. DJ Rise also hopes to earn revenue by charging a small fee for appearances at events such as birthdays, weddings, etc. She’ll have to rent a DJ mixer for each event.

There are two different accounting methods that get used to record accounting transactions:

1. Cash-basis accounting
2. Accrual accounting (more widely used and accepted by the Canada Revenue Agency)

The main difference between these two is to do with the timing of when you record your expenses and revenue. Accrual-based accounting means that you record any revenue or expenses when they’re earned or when they occur, no matter when you actually pay or receive the money. The accrual method requires the double-entry bookkeeping method we discussed earlier.

Cash-based accounting means that you only record your expenses or revenue once you actually receive the money or when you pay your suppliers, vendors, employees, etc. The same applies if you pay an expense on credit. To clarify, if you get a bill in August, but you only pay it in December, then under the accrual method, you’d report the expense when you get the bill (August). If you use the cash method, you’d only record the expense in December.

The method you choose is based on the size and complexity of your business, as well as whether you sell goods or services on account and if you make purchases on account. Cash-based accounting is much easier and it also allows you to look at your cash flow in “real time” by checking your bank balance rather than having to look at accounts payable and receivable. The accrual method, however, means you get a better, more accurate longer-term view of your business.

A lot of small businesses and sole proprietorships use cash-basis accounting, but accrual-basis accounting is the method the majority of businesses and professionals are legally required to use in Canada. According to the CRA, “Farmers, fishers, and self-employed commission agents can use the cash method or the accrual method to report income. All other self-employment income must be reported using the accrual method.”

Proper bookkeeping is a must to ensure you’re keeping track of your receipts and expenses so you can support your expense claims and your sales income.

Strengths
• graphic design advanced diploma
• creative
• think outside the box
• freelance experience

Interests
• art, crafts, design, DIY
• wreath making
• vinyl, heat transfer vinyl
• paper cards, die cut designs for cards
• musical theatre
• figure skating, cheerleading
• music
• Indigenous culture/studies

Intriguing
• not for profit organizations
• Indigenous artisans
• museums
• small/starting businesses

Design Thinking Gears
1. Understand people’s needs
2. Explore new possibilities
3. Turn ideas into an actionable strategy

Primary research is new research, carried out to answer specific issues or questions. It can involve questionnaires, surveys, or interviews with individuals or small groups. You’ll learn more about how to do your own primary research.

Secondary research means you’re looking at or using information that was previously researched for other purposes and is publicly available (also known as “desk research”). Secondary research includes published research reports you can access from a library, surveys, or the Internet. It can also include scientific reports produced by medical councils, universities, or government. You’ll need to complete secondary research for your business.

A STEEP analysis is a way to help you identify and define relevant trends that will impact your business. It can help you discover gaps in the market that might give you a unique opportunity, and it can help you be prepared for changes in the marketplace.
Step 1: Do proper research by gathering both quantitative (stories) and qualitative data (numbers) to confirm new trends in the industry or area your business idea falls into. These are trends caused by changes in Society, Technology, Environment, Economy, and Politics (STEEP).
Step 2: Use information from your research (using articles, books, websites, your own observations, etc.), and select interesting trends related to your business idea or business area (e.g., Adnan would look at trends in the food industry).

A landscape of players refers to the businesses, organizations, or individuals who are conducting business in the same marketplace your business will be in or that may impact or influence that market.

How to I identify my landscape of players?
Step 1: Identify the businesses, organizations, and individuals who are conducting business in your industry. You can start with those in the same industry and then expand to those in related or adjacent industries. Later in the course, we’ll come back to this and decide which players are competitors and which might be partners.
Step 2: This is optional, but it can be helpful to conduct a review of the activities, trends, and financial results of key players. You can then use this information to better understand the industry you’re working in and get more ideas for your business.

Target:
Small business (those without in-house graphic artist) – marketing material/banners/brochure
New business owners (requiring logo design, marketing material, web design
Non-Profit organizations (marketing material/brochures/web)
Museums/Art Galleries/Exhibit Designers – posters/flyers/web/brochure/vinyl lettering
Event Planners – posters/programs/banners

Where to find them:
Better Business Bureau listing
Facebook event listings
Museum/Gallery web search – internet/tourism london/london event listings/
Google search for event planners
Pillar Non Profit Network
Ontario Museum Assoc. Website
London Economic Business Development Directory
Local trade show listings – event listings
London Small Business Centre
London Small Business magazine
Community Service Organizations

Observational Research
Location: Museum exhibit opening

• people touch the vinyl letters on the walls
• not a lot of interaction with “interactive parts” of the exhibit
• perhaps didn’t want to put on headphones
• taking photos
• followed the planned/desired direction of the exhibit which helped maximize it’s effect/story
• exhibit stimulated questions and conversation
• people stayed in the room even after viewing the exhibit
• food and live music didn’t take away from the exhibit, people would return to the exhibit even after listening and/or eating
• food and music helped enhance the experience
• people on the way out stopped at the gift shop
• mixed group of people/demographic
• visitors, people from different cultures, large age range, different professions
• artifact cases were easily accessible, didn’t feel too far away
• sufficient number of artifacts to generate interest yet not overwhelm

Storyboarding 

1. Hear/Learn About (how marketed or advertised your product)
2. Buy/Subscribe
3. Use
4. Follow Up (how you’re going to get repeat business from your existing customers, ie feedback)

Customer Needs
• Money/Price
• Budget
• Visibility, presence in marketplace
• Easy to access files
• Physical barriers
• Easy communication means/methods
• Reliability
• Experience
• Convenience
• Design
• Efficiency
• Options
• Compatibility
• Functionality
• Have vision realized
• Fairness
• Know you are listening to their ideas
• Respectful
• Meet needs
• Target audience

Brainstorming
• Have someone to research available grants and help apply for them
• Resources web page, links to articles on how to apply for grants and grants themselves
• Offer packages
• Provide form asking for what customer wants in design
• Provide list of products purchased, uses for each one/file type/explanation of purpose (ie JPEG vs PNG)
• Provide a cloud space to share ideas
• Set a time line
• Gather key words to determine overall message

Position Statement 

• Who is your target customer?
• What business are you in?
• What benefit does your business bring to your customer?
• What makes it better than your competition?
  ie. For [targeted customers], my business is the [point of reference (i.e., business category, type of business or service)], that does/provides/makes/brings [benefit] better than the competition because of [difference between you and competitor].”
  For busy parents who care about their children’s health [target customer], Grow-Well is the custom organic food maker [type of business] that provides healthy food options for babies and toddlers. Grow-Well provides individual consultations to create menus that fit the needs of the individual baby and the parents [benefits to the customer]. We use only high quality organic ingredients and healthy cooking processes that parents can trust [why it’s better than competitor’s].

Vision Statement

• Where/what do you hope your business to be 5 to 10 years from now?
• How will your business be known? How do you want people to think about your company?
  Then, summarize your answers to form about one to three sentences.
  
  ie. Within the next 5 years, Grow-Well will be the top organic baby food provider in Toronto with annual revenues of over 1 million dollars by providing high quality baby foods that parents can trust.5 years from now Paula’s will be rated as a “5-star” restaurant in the GTA by consistently providing a combination of perfectly prepared food and outstanding service that creates an extraordinary dining experience. Within the next 5 years the Women’s Centre will have helped create a safer, more harmonious community by helping women acquire the education, skills and resources necessary to build self-sufficient prosperous lives. Within the next 5 years, metromanage.com will become a leading provider of management software to North American small business by providing customizable, user friendly software scaled to small business needs.

  Tips for Creating your vision statement:
  Remind yourself that this is an internal statement to help your business stay on track and to motivate you and your staff. Use the following questions to guide your thinking:

  • How much revenue do you want to make? (be ambitious but realistic with your numbers)
  • How many employees or customers do you want to have?
  • What other achievements would be meaningful to you?
  • How do you want people to think of your company? 
  • Remind yourself that this is an internal statement to help your business stay on track and to motivate you and your staff. Use th

   

_____________________________________________________________________________________

• SOCIAL NEED – What does the customer need from relationships with the people around them?
• PHYSICAL NEED – What does the customer need on a functional and practical level?
• EMOTIONAL NEED – What does the customer need emotionally?
• COMMUNICATION NEED – What information or knowledge does the customer need?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Revenue = The amount of money from all activities that a company actually receives during a specific period. It’s the “top line” or “gross income” figure from which your costs are then subtracted to figure out your net income. Basically, it’s how much you’ve earned in total, before you subtract any costs/expenses.

Net Income = Your revenue minus your costs (i.e., how much you have at the end of the day).

There are many different options for generating revenue. You don’t need to only have one money-making element in your business. What you’re looking for is appropriate “revenue streams.” Revenue streams are all the possible ways you can make money, as it relates to your ideal customer experience.

How Do You Do It?
1.) Go through your customer experience map, look at all the activities you’re going to be doing in your business, and brainstorm all possible ways of making money. Don’t just focus on the point of sale. There may be opportunities for some small early sales or for follow-up products or services. There may be opportunities for additional products or services at the cash out point. For example, think of a grocery store. While you’re waiting for a cashier, you’re often kept waiting next to shelves with different small items to buy, like magazines or candy.

2.) Group the ways of making money into streams that are possible in the coming year and also in the future. That means you need to think about which of the items you’ve identified on your customer journey are things you can do right now, and which are better as future activities.

3.) Pick your top 3 revenue streams for the coming year and try to estimate how much money you will make. List any assumptions you can make or potential unknowns. Don’t get too tied up with the math here. The important thing is that you start to think about how to calculate potential sales, what you might be able to charge for your product or service, and the types of things that might impact your sales. Don’t worry if this feels intimidating; we’ll be looking more at finances in the next few lessons, so do your best.

Revenue Streams
Product/Service sales: product/service
Content sales: ie self-help guides
Advertising sales: Get others to advertise on your site
Brokerage Fee: Sell someone’s product/sesrvice and get a cut
Warranties/after care: charge for maintenance
Subscriptions: Charge monthly/yearly fee for product/service (ie service where customers pay a monthly fee and get a new selection of honey delivered each month)
Rent: Rent our space or equipment
Licensing: License out your intellectual property (ie your designs, song, writing, processes, technology, etc.)
“Freemium”/premium: Offer a free version of your basic products or services and then charge a fee for the premium version.
Pay what you can: Get donations from people for your product and services. (ie June might start out offering “pay what you can” donations for her organizational services to build her client base and get testimonials.)

• Grow Well Examples
• Food sales – per product or subscription
• Sell advertising spot on Grow-Well website
• Cooking classes for parents
• Referral commission from partners
• Delivery fee
• Washing services – reusable containers
• Consultation (e.g., nutrition, meal planning)
• Sell baby-safe containers and tableware
• Rent out commercial kitchen
• Cookbooks and recipe cards

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Direct costs are directly linked to the production of a specific service or product. These costs might change over time (i.e., the costs are variable), especially as your rate of production changes, but they can also be fixed.
Direct cost examples might include raw materials, equipment, and software, but also the salary paid to someone who worked on the product, because this labour cost is directly linked to the production and is a specific “cost object.”

Indirect costs are those costs that might be needed for production, but they aren’t directly linked to the actual production itself; they’re the price of maintaining your business overall. It’s easiest to think of indirect costs as the prerequisites or the “must haves” for the production of your specific service/product/goods. Indirect costs can also be fixed or variable. Indirect cost examples include the materials and supplies you need to keep your business running day to day. Examples include rent, advertising, marketing, cell phones, computers, cleaning products, utilities, etc. These aren’t directly linked to making your product or running your service, but they’re essential to your business operations.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

If you’re selling services, like June, then your operating cycle obviously won’t include inventory. Instead, your business activities would start with the sales cycle (i.e., marketing and selling the service to your client). Then you would perform the service, and the sales cycle would be complete when you collect cash from the customer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Action Plan
Step 1 What is your Year 1 Goal that can be measured? (e.g., revenue for your first year, number of customers you want to reach, etc.)
Step 2 What are the activities in the next 3 months that will lead you to this goal?
Let’s look at Grow-Well’s action plan:

My Year 1 Goal

• Total annual revenue: $50,000
• Get 100 customer reviews

My activities in the next 3 months:

• Get a food-handling licence
• Source commercial kitchen for rental
• Build a website
• Develop 20 recipes
• Test products with friends

1.4 – What is your business idea?

I like to draw on Photoshop frequently. An example of this is sets of colourful orbs. So my idea is to somehow bring these orbs to life in a form of a glass sphere, or whatever material would be needed for this. I’d like to create custom orbs for anyone who would be interested in having one.

2.4 – What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• If things aren’t successful the first time, try and try again
• While it is important to follow the customer’s wants, it is also important to keep your own limits/boundaries in consideration if the customer’s wishes are not realistic or too difficult to achieve
• It’s okay to be wrong every now and then; that’s how we learn and grow
• Always prioritize your mental health over work if it becomes too stressful
• As important as work is, you should take care of your well-being as well

I think the advantages of being an employee versus being an entrepreneur is not being responsible for every decision my company makes, and also having a certain “comfort zone” to work in. As for running my own business, I get to choose when I can work; and break rules in terms of creativity. However, the challenges of both would be:

• Getting stressed, especially if there is so much work to do
•  Having to deal with business finances
• Time management
• Achieving goals

My Original Business Ideas for The Rise Program

1# Cake Decorating – healthy cakes (collaboration) / experience working for Kaitlin Regain or cake shops in London.

2# Photography Free Lance – Learn more from a photographer/ C.C. Exeter Photo Club /Sandra Reiger / photography course

3# Yoga Classes – cant do yet, until I get instructors

4# Art Classes/Paint Nights – LETS DO IT!

5# Artistic Psychotherapy Clientele Business – professional practice (more experience)

6# Developing the Apple Orchard Business Plan – tips & tricks to bring home to our family business

Everyone who wants to paint/ learn/ socializes/ learn something new/ get creative, all who are able, or willing.

I have taken a business course to develop my business idea, and lean business plan. I am preparing to launch my paint night business to further develop my skills and prepare for a career in Art Psychotherapy, and have this as a side business going forward.

Todd Cowan

Supervisor at Huron Research Station / U of G

tcowan@uoguelph.ca

519-235-4075 ext. 104

Cover the costs of my initial business start up, including; aprons, paint, materials, easels, canvases, brushes, clean up supplies, table clothes, microphone & sound system, office supplies, venue rental fees.

#1 – I will purchase paint night materials & equipment to run art groups/lessons/demonstrations/paint nights/days, at venues with low rental costs.

#2 – I will be selling packages for clients.

#3 – I will be offering private art lessons/classes/sessions, one on one, or small groups, tailored to my clients needs, based off their application.

#4 – Masters Class Workshop Series (6-8 Lesson Package) – Technical Art Lessons – E & P of design

Tailored art journey to inspire creativity, foster self-exploration & develop artistic skills.

For all ages, kids and adults.

Target Customer: adult females between the ages of 22-42, looking for a relaxing recreational event / lessons to attend after work on their days off, for a “girls night” event, or batchelorette parities as this would be a popular need.

My personal passion for art and understanding of art based healing practices in the therapeutic nature of artistic expression in itself.

My career path and career goals are in complete alignment with this start up business, that will develop further in due time.

Tailored art journey to inspire creativity, foster self-exploration & develop artistic skills.

“Sometimes creating art can be fun, stressful, anxiety provoking, exciting, magical, unexpected, disappointing, exhilarating, skill building, enjoyable, relaxing, difficult, and even messy.” – My business idea will welcome individuals at any artistic level to invite them to open up to their creative energies and be open to developing their artistic skills.  Providing, support, demonstrations, constructive critisim, art support, art sharing, in a non judgmental therapeutic art space.

For all ages, kids and adults.

Target Customer: adult females between the ages of 22-42, looking for a relaxing recreational event / lessons to attend after work on their days off, for a “girls night” event, or batchelorette parities as this would be a popular need.

Business is like a treck there are bumps in the road and allot of high points. It is best to be prepares ahaed of time.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

A possitive mindset and also a can do attitude, an entrepreneur has many tasks to do and with the right mindset and attitude all things can be completed. Patience is also very important.

Some ideas for Busy Betty are easily accessible recipes available on the website. And a chat room also available on the site for moms to unwind and converse maybe a forum as well where moms can post advice and even adds for things like baby sitters or clothing swaps.

Some ideas fo Bubblegum

A website that you can access all clothing lines. I have come up with multiple with multiple concepts and cute names.

On the website there are tutorials where you can learn about fashion and beauty. Along with the tutorials there is an interactive game you can play. You make a Character and practice what you have learned from the tutorials. To unlock further levels you must achieve things for ex. You would be asked to watch a tutorial on how to do an at home facial, than there would be a gamr you play to pratice the facial, if you do it correctly you move forward. Some videos cost a small amount. You can pay online to havr a bank of money which you can use to shop or pay for videos, videos are .50.

Website with be pink, white, baby blue and lavender. With a bubblegum candy theme. I would like there to be a spot on the site where I can incorporate ballooms and clouds.

Highest achievment section on the site.

I forgot to mention with rach achievement points are collected. Points can be used to by only certain items. So in turn when you spend money to watch videos you are essiatially purchasing an experience and an item.

Module 1 Notes: Business ideas- Book review blog/YouTube channel called Big Nickel Bookworm.

Module 2 Notes: What do I think is the most important mindset and entrepreneur can have?

I believe the most important mindset an entrepreneur can have is a above all a positive mindset. If an entrepreneur has something discouraging happen to their business and then have a negative response from it then being negative gets the entrepreneur nowhere. I also believe an entrepreneur needs a determined mindset. I believe this because entrepreneurship has lots of positive and negative moments and it is important for the entrepreneur to be determined to keep going no matter what entrepreneurship throws at them.

Lesson 5: Busy Betty- have a product customer service phone number on the products label, ingredients list on the packaging, nutritional info on the packaging.

Lesson 7: Brands:

• Nike, they make me motivated to work out or to go on a run
• Hagen Das ice cream, they make me want ice cream
• Home Depot, they motivate you to complete your DIY project with their help and products

Lesson 9: Saving Habits and What I want to save money on:

Saving Habits: money in a jar to reach a goal (i.e. buy a laptop fund), savings account, retirement savings,

Why save?

• To reach a goal (i.e. I want to buy a new laptop)
• To save for a rainy day

Lesson 10:

Which ones could be partners and why?

• Healthcare and organic baby food because health care is directly linked to healthy eating
• retail and media because the one compliments the other

Competitors: nutritionists and online bloggers and the different retail stores that sell baby stuff are competing against each other

Lesson 12:

Business name: Big Nickel Bookworm

Nickel City Bookworm

Bookworm Bloggette

From this beginning intro video, It reminded me of an idea that I’ve continually had.
I desire to create sustainable food. I would do this by using vertical gardens.

Utilizing and taking advantage of the significant price drops and accessibility to shipping containers, CRI positive LED for energy efficient growing and using aquaponic systems.
in combination with Geothermal greenhouses.

I’ve subscribed to local food box programs in the past and found that when the greens were harvested, there were far too many to consume before they spoiled.
As a result, this got me thinking: What if these greens were cold pressed and frozen to preserve them. I later found out that dehydration had increased some mineral elements of the leafy greens, such as Fiber, Vitamin C & K.

These preservation methods not only keep the greens consumable and nutrient-rich but also conserve a lot more space for storage.

I think It would be easy to maintain these types of greenhouses and gardens because automation is so much more accessible in this day in age, which means little overhead for employees.

Based on the idea of the subscription-based community food boxes, I thought that it would be a great idea to do the same with the greens.
Have premade greens powder available season long without the concern of spoil or e. coli contamination.
I think this point alone is worth further explaining because of how great this problem has proven to be these passed years.
E.coli contamination is most common when farmers grow their field green crops adjacent to animal agriculture farms.
This happens when contaminants run downstream and into the water supply.

This is also a large concern for all the awareness that has grown around the topic of antibiotics, hormones, pesticide uses and genetically modified organisms.

As a struggling vegan, I know how overwhelming it can be to start off not knowing what nutrients you have to intake to
“Replace” what you would be “Missing” from not eating meat. I.e.: Protein, B12, B17, and Iron.
Finding greens to supplement was the most efficient way to ensure my body was assimilating these nutrients in a direct form.
By doing this I have found that I have actually eliminated, dizzy spells, Weakness or other symptoms of hypoglycemia.
I first blacked out in 2010 after having low blood sugar.
I’m happy to report that after seeing multiple doctors (natural path and medical) That my blood is better than ever, which means I can donate pure gold to needy recipients.

Time to Reflect: Adnan & June

June: Organized, anxiety, lots of questions, likes to go through things slowly, efficient, thorough

How am I feeling?

Anxious re: personal life and business starting (solution: Deal with personal life)

• Relationship with Spouse
• Relationship with Parents

I would like to separate, but on what grounds? Nothing wrong with spouse, emotionally disengaged

Continuing to make physical efforts to cultivate emotions

Why don’t I feel that my parent’s love me? I feel like I do not meet their criteria as to what a good daughter/mother looks like. I feel judged in regards to my use of cannabis, yet more so troubled at the fact that they remain closed minded in several dynamics. (ie religion, pharmaceuticals, household standards, lifestyle choices)

Continue to open doors of communication, seek support and council as needed!!

Concerns, Questions, & Thoughts RE PROGRAM

Business idea requires property. How can I acquire means to purchase [anything]?

My credit score is subpar, what are the most efficient ways to increase my credit score?

Spousal strife re. business idea

What resources can I use for what purposes?

• Waubetek (Cultural awareness idea, business grants, selling local merchandise?)
• Aboriginal Housing (FIMUR

Shirley & Tony

Shirley markets for local artists (cultural awareness, helping others earn profits)

Tony stays conscious of the environment

STARTING A BUSINESS IS LIKE LORD OF THE RINGS

A long and fateful journey, with pitfalls and struggles, and beautiful scenery. May need to go back, may be brought left, may be brought right. Need the right tools for success.

Strengths

Organized, meticulous, thorough, detail oriented, excellent resources, determined and self-motivated

Being the expert in my own life

No risk, no reward. Don’t be afraid to fail because success cannot be built on nothing

Hiring staff?

Time to Reflect: The Entrepreneur Mindset

I believe there are several key mindsets that an entrepreneur should have

• Committed (to the process)
• Efficient (to manage time and efforts)
• Adaptable (to find solutions to obstacles)
• Receptive (to new ideas and sound advice)
• Humble (in knowing you’re not all-knowing)
• Confident (in making this work!)

Entrepreneur VS Employee

Employee Advantage

• Clock in/Clock out
• Specific task oriented
• Personal budgeting only
• Expendable

Entrepreneur Advantage

• Be your own boss
• Build your own legacy
• Build partnerships in the community

Makes all the decisions, opportunity to create something from nothing, opportunities are often short lived- creating a sense of urgency to find the next “Thing”

Need to hold short term & long term visions at the same time (anticipating problems, dealing with problems, setting up to avoid problems)

Getting used to feeling uncomfortable

What needs to be done, HAS to be done

NUMBERS DON’T LIE

Challenges:

• Prioritizing
• Time management
• Acts of God
• Maintaining professional standards

Goal Setting: Sandcastle Analogy

Review: Time Management Matrix

Lesson 2 Topic 6 & 8

Lesson 2: Three Gears of Business Design

• Empathy & Deep Human Understanding (Understanding people’s needs)
• Concept Visualization (Explore possibilities, brainstorming ideas)
• Strategic Business Design (turn ideas into actionable strategies)

Design Thinking vs Analytical Thinking

Analytical Thinking                                                                                                               Design Thinking

• Step by step                                                                                                               – Best for new ideas
• Planning                                                                                                                     – Visualizing solutions and implementing
• Time management                                                                                                   – Trial & error
• Logic, Data, Measurements                                                                                   – Design for clients/customers

LESSON 3

The Beginner’s Mindset

“If you don’t take risks, you don’t reap the rewards!”

Know the terrain, know your market, know your customers, proper industry research, know your competition

Procuring information and laying out the groundwork. IE Going on a hike without having a map. Need to know terrain, hazards, bridges, resources, etc

PRIMARY RESEARCH VS SECONDARY RESEARCH

• Research done by self                          – Research done by others
• Specific surveys                                     – Public information
• Personalized questionnaires               – Stats etc

Qualitative Research: Investigative and real world situations and personable circumstances (develop empathy)

Quantitative Research: Specific data relations, number based (explain facts & observe patterns)

S  T E  E  P                      Identifying trends related to your business

o  e  n  c   o                    Using Qualitative and Quantitative Research

c  c  v  o    l                                      Observing Trends

i  h  i  n    o

e  n  r  o   t

t  o  o  m  i

y  l  n  y  c

o  m     s

g  e

y  n

t

REFER TO EXPLANATIONS LESSON 3.4 ^^^

Identify the common trends, successes and failures of others so you don’t make the same mistakes

Using the + map

LANDSCAPE OF PLAYERS

• Competition                                         – Complimentary businesses
• Customers                                            – Suppliers

IDENTIFYING “TARGET CUSTOMER”

Who do you want to provide services/products for?

Can’t please everyone, who is this service/products GEARED TO

Create specific persona

“MIND YOUR MANORS”

LESSON 4

S   : Out of town workers (on shift work)

Lesson 2.4: As an entrepreneur, the most important mindset to have is to be ready to welcome the great outcome of the otherwise tough actions and decisions to make. In other words, say in your head, “It’s hard work, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”

Lesson 5.3: There should be a cute, interactive plush toy of an anthropomorphic animal (maybe a dog or mouse) in a chef’s outfit aimed at babies and toddlers to playfully teach the concept of healthy eating habits. It is an ideal playmate for Betty’s household.

Lesson 7.3: Two brands that came to my mind were Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Frito-Lay’s Cheetos. Sugar-coated corn flakes and cheese-flavored corn curls are items that any other food manufacturer could sell, but what makes those specific brands memorable, apart from great taste, are their respective mascots, Tony the Tiger and Chester Cheetah.

My skills: creative, time management, well organized, break things into smaller goals, experience networking and holding workshops.

An entrepreneur should be ready to make mistakes, learn and listen. Be open to feedback and willin to incorporate it.

test test test

My ideas:

• assisting artists recieving major grants (5k and up) with producing their projects
• offering weekly or regular productivity check ins
• assisting artists with setting up new routines and systems to support their work and the balance between creative work, admin and side hustles
• assist artists with identifying income generating activities

Like Adnan:

• Life here is very different from my background.
• I want to have time with my family.
• Being able to travel and have a vacation.
• Fight against depigmentation.
• I am impulsive and extravert at the time.
• 100% natural body care products

Like June:

• Organized and great at motivating others
• A knack for time management
• Struggled to find work I enjoy
• I could use my skills to start a business
• I am a person with anxiety
• I am pretty good with social media

1. I was nervous at the beginning with a lot of ideas and really don’t know which one to choose.
2. Sometimes I am overconfident and other times I am mistrustful. And almost all the time cautious about everything.
3. Passionate about helping women changing their ming of being beautiful equal having lighter skin ton.
4. I want to sale the product that I experiment for my body care.

1.4 Bringing your own experience

I use to do that my self and while grown up I decided to change my mentality and being proud of who I was and I wanted to keep this dark skin ton. Now I am very proud of who I am and really want to work on it to make it more bright and silky.

Steps
1. Planning a business
Assessing your readiness, choosing a business structure, market research and writing a business plan.
2. Choosing a business name
Selecting a good name, checking if a name is taken, registering and protecing your business name.
3. Registering your business with the government
Registering or incorporating your business, plus how to apply for a business number or tax account.
4. Applying for business permits and licences
Permits and licences that you may need for your business from all three levels of government.
5. Getting business support and financing
National and regional business support, including financing for immigrant and aboriginal entrepreneurs.

It’s really important to remind yourself that becoming an entrepreneur is a process. Set realistic expectations for yourself, and remind yourself that you don’t have to get it right the first time. Many of the most successful people and businesses have failed at first.
For example, today The Walt Disney Company rakes in billions from merchandise, movies, and theme parks around the world, but Walt Disney himself had a bit of a rough start. He was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” After that, Disney started a number of businesses that didn’t last too long and ended with bankruptcy and failure. He kept plugging along, however, and eventually found a recipe for success that worked.

Here’s a simple example to give you an idea of what we mean:
My goal is… to build a sand castle:

• Pick a flat spot with fine sand
  Make sure sand is moist
  Use pails of different sizes
  Carve out design
  Gather shells and decorate

What’s Your Story
Challenge 2: What are Your Goals? Build Your Vision.
For this challenge, take some time to think about and map out your goal(s). What steps will you need to take to get there? Fill in the Your Goals: Build Your Vision worksheet below to do this. Remember, you can come back to these documents (and you’ll need to and want to) as you move through the course. You can access these in My Forms via My Journey and you’ll also be emailed a copy.
Build Your Vision
Challenge 3: How Do You Spend Your Time?
Using the time management matrix below, map out how you spend your time on an average day. Fill in the activities in the relevant quadrant. Are you spending too much time in quadrants 1 and 3 and not enough in quadrant 4? How can you change this?
Time Management Matrix

idea: shoes

what: culture, made by hand

2.8

What is my Story?

My story is I have always loved to draw, animals and being out in nature. I have a son and I worry about what the environment will be like when he is my age. I hope to use my passion for art, learning and teaching to inspire others to take action, however they can, and to help support charities who create positive change for the environment through my sales.

My Goals

My goal is to be successful and make a difference in this world. I want to improve myself, skills and learn as much as I can.
I want to create a life of abundance and happiness for myself and others, through the hard work, a positive attitude and focus.
I want to become a more compassionate, kind and empathetic person with high emotional intelligence and to master my phycology.
I want to live a balanced life of fulfillment, purpose and productivity.

How I spend my time

Important – Urgent:
•Meditating
•Spending time with Son
•Business course lessons
•Business course meetups/sessions
•Getting and completing portrait commissions
•Taking care of Health

Important – Not urgent:
•Cleaning Apartment
•Creating and Posting completed Artwork
•Improving communication and charisma skills
•Spending time with Family
•Scheduling

Not Important – Urgent
•Creating Social Media following
•Blog content creation
•Practing and improving Art skills
•Relaxing and recharging (reading novel with Tea)

Not Important – Not Urgent
•Watching YouTube videos
•Surfing the web
•Singing and Playing guitar
•Journaling

“What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing? Take some time to think about what you bring to your entrepreneurship trek!”

I’m organized, good with people, and have a ton of work experience that’s helped build my networking skills. I’m resourceful, determined, and a creative thinker.

I gravitate towards community orientated businesses/businesses working towards a good cause. I would like to factor that into my own art business somehow, but I’m not sure how. Perhaps I’ll offer children’s classes, or workshops at senior’s homes. I also wonder if there’s a way of tying in my love for Orcas. How can I use my art to support the health and success of the Southern Resident Orca population?

Most important MINDSET of an entrepreneur?

That every problem has a solution. Seeing challenges/failures as opportunities to grow and improve.

5.3 – How can Grow Well help Busy Betty

-offer webinars that provide simple explanations of the ingredients and process used to make their product

-create an online platform where parents can connect with other parents who are also food conscious. Have it moderated by a Grow Well representative

-team up with nurses and nutritionists to create a Grow Well food seminar: a short and concise program to educate parents on the ins and outs of child nutrition

Platform to speak with young people about the realities of stress and anxiety/depression, substance abuse etc.

Encouraging the participants to create their own toolkit that would include grounding skills, and any other activity to help them maintain a stable mind.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

1. To remain TEACHABLE
2. To GROW.
3. Expect PROGRESS not PERFECTION [.. Good Enough ..]
4. To NEVER GIVE UP so to keep trying.
5. HARD WORK is the path to achievement.

Answers Provided:

Ready to be wrong, ready to learn more, willing to keep an open mind, comfortable with uncertainty/ambiguity and not worried about trying to get it perfect the first time. This is what’s known as the beginner’s mindset.

1.3
Reflections: I identify with both Adnan and June. When manic, I feel like Adnan, when depressed, I feel like June. It makes me feel nervous that I’ll feel overwhelmed, but also good to recognize this.
1.4
Strengths & Skills:

• Reading & writing
• Journalism training
• Passion for spreadsheets & data
• Love of storytelling
• Ability to find anything interesting

Business Brainstorming:

• Writing & editing services
• Helping people write their own stories, memoirs, books
• Writing books/being an author/ghost writing

2.4
An entrepreneurial mindset should be: creative, innovative, driven, excited, self reliant, independent, hard working, flexible, open minded.
3.7: NEED TO COMPLETE last bit
4.3 Observational research:

• Hospitality brochures, tourism websites
• Tradeshows? Tourism conventions?

4.04: Questions

• Tell me about your business’s story
• How are you currently sharing your story with your audience?
• What would you like to share with your audience?
• What do you want when it comes to your business’s writing, editing, and social media?
• Do you have any wild dreams in this department?
• Where do you see your business in 2, 5, or 10 years?
• What do you want people to think of your business/how do you want them to see you?

5.3
Busy Betty Brainstorming:

Provide recipes
Include nutritional information
Include a free calendar
Have an app/program available that links into digital calendar
Sell day planners

1.3 about starting a business and becoming an entrepreneur

questions:

concerns:

thought/feelings: – excitement

1.4 -> BRAINSTORM IDEAS

Most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

-you can do this! (Confidence)

-open to failing sometimes but moving on from it

-dedication and passion to the idea

5 years from now, the GIK website will be operating with 500 recipient agencies and 300 donors. and we would be promoting everything through our website. The GiK program would be a project as a platform for giving and receiving good quality donations and bridging the gap between donors, distributors as well as final recipients.

We would have a bigger storage and 5 employees to help run the program.

What is the most impsteep analysis, economic downturn, drought affecting the growth of wild herbs. New laws being passed about what we are allowed to sell loss of elders and old teachingsortant mindset for an entrepreneur ?  Driven to make things better

Blok Host LLC.

A web hosting company that offers web hosting for domains, ssl certificate, business email service, whois domain protection and website builder for small business owners at a competitive price.

*WHOIS protection is offered by ???*

*Email servers are individual raspberry pi’s, with static ip logins*

*SSL offered by (Cloudflare, Digicert, Komoodo) ??*

*Website builder is offered by Site.pro*

Hello, my Notebook. I am Tom Riddle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What are my experiences?

• Been the face of the company, social media presence/aesthetic, can work through high stress situations on the floor/in the moment.

What are my challenges?

• I’m unsure of myself, but will still blindly charge forward, and second guess my second thoughts. Gets stuck in her spiral. Sometimes deeply.

What are my strengths?

• I have high capabilities for/in stressful situations. I have created & maintained Quality Control Management Systems on a laboratory setting, proven in the audit and certification in MV Corp’s lab during the spring of 2018.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mindset of an entrepreneur requires: patience, determination, and passion.
Summarized; “Fall down 7 times, get back up 8.”
I think it is important to not believe your low points are
“rock bottom/the end”,
but rather, the obstacles mentioned in the previous module.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Goals:
To provide one of a kind hoods, with my ethics and company’s impact on the
environment being shared in educational manners.
I also want to spread a sense of awareness for the benefits of using real
animal pelts in respectful manners, and hope my customers all feel like they
are making an impact on supporting aboriginal trades and communities.

(Jagged thoughts. Will probably take this out?*Reflect on it for a while.*)
It has been expressed that it is important for some have their measurements
taken IN PERSON.
Haley P, a potential customer who is NOT likely to be spending lots of money on
outfits regardless of the fact she’s known for attending many local events in
memorable attire over the years, stated she has never actually designed her
outfits with a company.
She’s barely designed her outfits before an event, at all! She has many friends
who love the adventure of working with someone for their own outfits, but she
found there to be issues with the distance between her and the creator. This
has kept her from working with someone directly, even with the value she holds
in purposefully avoiding Facebook marketplace has been a huge saving grace for
her, as far as avoiding the internet or retail stores.
She stated it would be different for her if she could physically walk in, have
her measurements taken, choose her colours and textures, and receive updates.
She loves the idea of supporting local businesses. Purchasing clothes, shipping
them, and washing them all impact the environment heavily, and she’s fully
aware of that.
The ideal interaction with a designer, that she explained, was an idea that
actually excited her.
Having a professional setting to do this in would be required.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

— What marketing tactics or brand names comes to mind while in 7.3?
MOTA, and the simple yet softer packaging that was Green Earth Organics.
The contrast of the two while I worked in two different dispensaries who
served two different demographics.

• Do you save money on a regular basis? NORMALLY but nOOOooooOOt right now as I’m unemployed.
• What is your process for putting savings away? Just, do it.
• Why is it important to save? In case of emergencies, or to gain new experiences since everything costs fucking money. UGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGH.
• What do you want to learn about money? Funding, investments, and what to do further than just identifying INS n’ OUTS. I am great at budgetting, I have NO skills for making new income streams?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LANDSCAPE OF BABES N’ BITCHES ALIKE

• Regular hood makers, large and small: e.g., SpiritHoods, KawaiiAtama (etsy) Other Ravewear sellers etc.
• Local Production company’s e.g., ICB, Dusk2Dawn, Journeyman Productions,
• Local Performers: e.g., djs, promotion peoples, dancers, and other local influencers.
• Other Product Providers: Tattoo shops, Erotica/Kink stores, Costume shops or any other oddity or misc. store?
• Retailers: RaveReady Apparel, Dollskill (USED AS AN EXAMPLE FUCK THEM KIDZ DAWG), IHeartRaves, etc.
• Media and Information: e.g., Social Media influencers, bloggers, alternative magazines or websites of the like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vsco hotspot a place of scruncies and lip gloss and more

Business ideas = Leatherwork, custom products, leather machines, classes, design services

I think that I can bring my curiosity, and knowledge about marketing.

I think that I recently read Cashflow Quadrant, and am excited to see the creation of Systems rather than simply companies which require more and more of the founder’s time.

An entrepreneur should have a mindset of working on themselves and on the problem they want to solve- their passion. – They should be willing to fail and learn, and continue, but stronger from the learning.

I would seek freedom, so creating a system that can operate without me at a certain point would be the most interesting for me.

BRaidups a coloured hair
Designs
Accessories

I think having found my passion is a huge strength in this process. I am also very well organized and a strategic thinker. Recently I’ve become very good at managing my time and don’t allow myself to dwell on something for too long.

I am intrigued by businesses that are personable. I love learning about a business’ story and the people behind it. I also like businesses that help others improve themselves (in any area of life) and I hope my business can do the same.

I would like to open a business that offers small, local businesses and personal brands branding and photography services. More specifically, I want to help business owners be at the forefront of their brand and share their story.

Entrepreneurs should not be afraid to fail, they should enjoy learning new things, they enjoy challenges

Music Teaching Studio:

• Music lessons on guitar, ukulele, and songwriting
• Primarily kids and teens, after school hours. Adults welcome.
• Online course(s) design
• Book(s) publishing
• Recording studio for student singer-songwriters.
  • Small amount of recording equipment in a sound-proofed environment.
• Performance coaching
  • Overcoming stage fright, emoting effectively
• More teachers to be subcontracted to provide piano lessons, voice lessons. I provide guitar, ukulele, songwriting lessons.
• Primarily in-studio lessons, as opposed to in-home. I have/will develop a great space to conduct the lessons, and prefer to teach there. Conducting lessons at clients’ homes is less effective, and more taxing for the teacher. Not the experience I want for my students.

Most important mindset for an entrepreneur:

• Passionate about his/her idea.

Creative, driven, open to opportunities/open minded, strong skill set.

Busy Betty – child minding service, food prep service.

Goals. Where/what do you hope your business to be 5 to 10 years from now?:  Either steady/full time amount to clients and walks with an employee. Still being the only or the leading “green” company in the field with a very good system for garbage collection and other green initiatives in place. OR have someone else doing the business basically full time while I take the dogs to retreats/schools/classes on proper animal treatment and therapeutic sessions. To the multi facet therapeutic retreat/small dog kennel.

How will your business be known? How do you want people to think about your company?:

“Waggin’ Wagon”

1:
Note taking

Now was a good time to start testing out notebook.

In the first chapter, it has stated many obstacles business owners may face on their journey to starting a business. It stated that you may have to start over many times before you get to where you want to be.

2. Checking In

Identify at least five customers to interview
1 Everyday Customers – Potential Investors in Currency
2 Financial Institutions
3
4
5

2.1 What do I think the most important mindset of an entrepreneur should be or have?

A: The willingness to try even though obstacles get in the way. Do not let peoples thoughts and judgments interfere with what your actual intentions or end goal may be. Try beyond failure.

RISE ANSWER

Ready to be wrong.
Ready to learn more.
Willing to keep an open mind.
Comfortable with uncertainty/ambiguity.
Not worried about trying to get it perfect the first time. This is what’s known as the beginner’s mindset.

2.6
3 gears of business design and design thinking
1. Empathy and Deep Human understanding
2. Concept Visualization
3. Strategic Business Design

2.7 – Check it Out

A social enterprise that strives to contribute to decolonization, ecosystem resilience, place making and food security by selling good food made with ingredients that were responsibly gathered on Southern Vancouver Island or/and grown on former lawns/boulevards.

Economic: Gathered and gardened foods and added value products like tarts, jams, jellies & salads. Gardening and consulting services. Native Plant Tours if a strong Coast Salish partnership is achieved.

Environmental: By planing and caring for and responsibly gathering from native and food producing species on publicly accessible lands, boulevards & private lawns in collaboration with Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, residents and landowners we will contribute to the enhancement of biodiversity, pollination, connectivity and resilience of local ecosystems.

Social: Contribute to placemaking, inclusivity, decolonization and food security while offering low barrier opportunities to make a positive impact, engage socially, (un)learn and connect with nature. Generate revenue to go back to Indigenous communities, food security and environmental needs.

Customers?:Who will be your customers? – Directly to people who eat and purchase solid foods on Southern Vancouver Island and for resale to local businesses such as bakeries, wineries, restaurants or cyclist food vendors.

Entrepreneur Mindset Brainstorm:

• Think that they can create change.
• Take Responsibility and Delegate
• See the big picture
• Manage Time
• Profit Seeking
• Adaptable

Busy Betty:

• brand mascot or spokesperson the invokes trust to meet Betty’s social needs.
• Presence of Superfoods, balanced nutrition, organic, dietitian/MD recommended
• Scents that promote calmness or happiness could support Betty’s emotional need of peace of mind.
• Ingredients visually communicated and clearly listed using positive language
• Soothing music in adverts.
• “Needing helpers I can trust and reach out to” perhaps adverts could show people like Betty having having more time and spending it with peers/partners/family and smiling.
• Containers that do not leave a mess or cause environmental harm could help the product contribute to Betty’s emotional needs and time management.

• Idea Brainstorming:
• Jarred Salal-Blue(or mixed) Berry jam, tart/pie filling.
• Portion of sale of each product towards Indigenous Resilience, Food Security, Environmental Resilience causes.
• Sales to consumer through SPUD Marketplace
• Sales to businesses, partnering on new products with portion of proceeds supporting specific causes
  • e.g. Cold Comfort Salal-Blueberry Ice Cream supporting their Indigenous scholarship
• “Pies not/over Pipelines” with portion of sales towards Indigenous pipeline resistance
• Volunteer Work Parties with a Coast Salish speaker, share responsible gathering, keep some of the berries you pick contribute some, pull invasive as we go.
• Grant from Victoria Placemaking Society
• Signs sharing anti-stigma messages, garbage bins, sharps containers, community message boards, seating, incorporated into some boulevard designs.
• Contracted responsible gatherers
• rented kitchen in advance of SPUD marketplace dates.
• Garry Oak Ecosystem Permaculture baskets
• Indoor Hydropinic system sale and set up.

For [targeted customers], my business is the [point of reference (i.e., business category, type of business or service)], that does/provides/makes/brings [benefit] better than the competition because of [difference between you and competitor].

For environmentally minded Islanders who care about their communities, Island Restorative Provisions are the sustainable food specialists that offers products that are not only good, convenient food, but that also enhancing local ecosystems and working towards decolonization.

Revenue Brainstorm:

• Direct Sale of Food Products
• By Donation tickets on eventbrite for participating in knowledge translation events
• Sale of Native Plant Baskets
• Referral Commission from SPUD
• Commission on VICCIFN plant cards
• GoFundMe for native plants and knowledge holder stipends
• Placemaking and Neighbourhood grants from the City of Victoria
• Pull Together $200 invasive pulling grants
• Partners’ budgets on place-making, stigma-fighting signage (e.g. SICORN, FNHA, VICCIFN)

Island Health Regulations link:

Free Soil Testing Royal Roads Compost link: https://www.compost.bc.ca/healing-city-soils/

Wild foods unregulated BCCDC: http://www.bccdc.ca/resource-gallery/Documents/Educational%20Materials/EH/FPS/Food/Pinemushroomoilandsalt1.pdf

Business design and design thinking – puts the customer in both the planning process and the business itself

3 Gears of Business Design

1. Empathy and Deep Human Understanding – understand needs
2. Concept Visualization – explore new possibilities
3. Strategic Business Design – turn ideas into actionable strategy

“Design Thinking” vs Analytical Thinking

Analytical thinking – step by step process (logic, data and measurements), when you want to perfect something that already exists

Design Thinking – more intuitive and holistic, visualizing solutions and then trying them out (prototyping and experimenting), best used when you want to do something radical or different

Relevant Trends that Affect Any Industry

STEEP

S – social

T – technological

E – environmental

E – economic

P – political

Observational Research

3 places – at a coffee shop on their laptop, at an arts organization building like Artscape or Daniel’s Spectrum, at our own curated event

3 insights – artists find any refuge that’s cheap, tons of WiFi and potentially space for meetings; people want more spaces and opportunities to network without it feeling like a networking party; artists are always trying to find smarter ways to spend their time and money without sacrificing the social aspect

Explanations – money is hard to come by especially if you feel like majority of your income goes to your bills and craft, so there’s not much room for anything else. Therefore, they’re always on the lookout for any opportunities to save money in one category so you have enough for something else. Networking is in our blood, but when there’s a label, there’s also expectations instead of just pure authentic energy. So people probably don’t network as much because that’s not how they define it. Even if business collaborations are mentioned, they don’t want that to be the objective.

NEED TO INTERVIEW:

Justin Chin – Producer

Jay Augustin – Boxer/Trainer

Mugabe – Author/Poet

Kiana “Rookz” Eastmond – CEO of Sandbox Studios & Executive Producer at Manifesto

Richelle Chatarpaul – singer/songwriter

The Medici Effect – phenomenon that occurs when number of talented, creative, and productive people from different fields are brought together and are able to collaborate to create something innovative and new (Frans Johansson)

Customer Need
Independence

Techniques:

1. Copycat – write need at the top, Who/what does this well and how? in left column, How might we do something like that? in right column
2. Mix and Match – based on customer’s main need:
   1. People and Services – what would help customers?
   2. Objects and Devices – what would help customers?
   3. Media and Messages – what would help communicate their message?
   4. Places and Environments – where would this be taking place?

Ideas

Put them on sticky notes and organize them into these “three” buckets:
1. Ideas that inspire me
2. Ideas that could work in a year
3. Ideas that could work in the future

Narrow down to top 10 ideas by rating it (how new or different is the idea? How well does it/might it meet your main customer need? How easy is it to implement?)

Notes on Branding to Keep in Mind:

• Your advertising, marketing, and communications
• Your business’s visual identity (logo, website, colour choice, etc.)
• Your product design, packaging, signage
• Your pricing
• Your customer’s in-store experience or how you deal with clients (e.g., after sales service or general customer service)
• Your investors, sponsors, or partners
• Your business’s “personality” (e.g., fun, innovative, friendly, traditional, exclusive, inclusive, etc.)
• unique name, image, design, logo, voice, tagline, term, symbol

What’s essential to the success of the business?

• marketing materials
• website
• office space
• buildings
• partners and sponsors
• how we deal with our clients

1

My business idea is to build/convert VW camper vans and rent them across Vancouver island, I want to focus more on a west coast/hippie based company. I chose the old VW because they are a vintage that all ages admire. My idea also involves very unique paint jobs that would be free advertisement and I feel would add excitement for the customer, social media is huge these days so I feel that would be even more reason for people to rent them just for the sole purpose of posting it on there social media account. My biggest issue is mechanical, the original VW engines are small and don’t have much power, and break down easily (specially when driven up island everyday) I did the research and am able to easily swap a Subaru box engine 2.2 litre into it but then i have the issue if people treat it like a hot rod, the drive train, transmission ect… might not be able to handle the power. For now I think i would keep it stalk until it broke down and replace one and see how it goes. I don’t only want to rent out the vans, I want to rent surf boards, bikes, skate boards, generators, ect.. for camping usage as well. maybe even have meal prep for there 4 or 5 days journey if it wasn’t too hard to get licensed. that is basically a quick run through of my business idea.

ethnographic research understanding peoples behaviour

creating an interview

• “tell me more about…”
• “tell me your stories about…”
• “why…

• Tell me more about how you plan your meals.
• What’s a typical visit to the grocery store like for you?
• Tell me the best and the worst stories about feeding your baby.
• What’s your tidying up and washing up routine?
• Have you ever interacted with a company about their baby products? What was that like?

Review your notes from your interviews and field observations, and write down insights (things that reveal the customer’s pains, wants, beliefs, values, habits, etc.). Consider any deeper motivations that may exist behind what people say or do on the surface. use sticky notes

Potential Key Players:

Makeup Artist

Hairstylist

Beauty Influencers

MAC Cosmetics

NARS

BOBBI BROWN

Local makeup brands

Spa/Salon

Eyelash Technicians

Models

Photographers

COSMETICA LABORATORIES

BOUGGIE COSMETICS

boo

The lesson 3 makes it seems like my audience should be individuals, but it is actually companies. Is that okay?

I’m not sure what my NAIC would be (I found three) and therefore can’t find the financial parts of the questions in lesson 3

Where should I go to observe if people need consulting? I know when there is an individuals needs are not being met or when a companies? It is literally fucking all companies! What am I trying to observe, to find where needs are not being met, again I literally see it everyday! Also this is my job as an auditor, so aren’t I just doing my work without being paid?

Business idea: dirty paws pet barber and wellness centre

Entrepreneurial mindset:

• Fearless of the future
• Confident in themselves and their idea.
• Malleable and willing to change.
• Focused on the big goals and seeing the path to it through small achievements.

Finding potential customers

– realizing there are both private and public resources

-why would anyone pay for my services when Google is free?

– they have the business, service, product and eventually, I will have the people and the attention of the city (then the world, we going google baby!). I have the experience, raw passion, and intent to verify and validate their services that which are truly FOR THE PEOPLE. Through my mission, I will gather a community that trust where I direct them.

Dream high baby girl!

three gears of business design are:

1. Empathy and deep human understanding – understand peoples needs
2. Concept visualization – explore new possibilities
3. Strategic Business Design – turn ideas into an actionable strategy

Industry research helps you…

1. understand your competition
2. Know what kind of conditions your business will operate in
3. Find good ideas about what other businesses are doing
4. Look for potential business partners
5. Make sure that your business idea/idea is realistic

Primary and Secondary Research:

Qualitative Research is focused on investigative research and looks at real-world situations.

ie; interviews and observations

Quantitative research is focused on finding and using number-based information and useable statistics

Data you can measure so you can explain facts and uncover patterns

ie; surveys

Target Customer (target market/target audience): a specific group of people that your product or service is aimed at.

https://guides.library.ubc.ca/foodservice/foodtrucks

Restaurants Use Political Influence to Hinder Food Truck Competition

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• Open-minded
• Open to failure as a means of learning, growing and reaching full potential
• Hard work ethic for the long days and endless work
• Acceptance, there will be challenges and there will be ongoing change
• Good intentions – if you do good work with a good mindset  you will see good results
• Take a risk – or there is no reward or smaller rewards
• Value yourself – you may be starting out but you are still worth your weight in gold
• Positivity, try to see the best in all situations, even the ones with undesirable outcomes
• Patience. An empire is not built overnight, or even over a year. It will take time.

Music Therapy sessions!

Offering therapy through the art of music, and also offer vocal teaching, and singing at events. This business is centered around the art of music and what it can  do for people! (ie. healing)

An entrepreneur should have:

*A risk taking mindset (Not afraid to fail..)

*Good time management skills

*Willing to put in the work that it takes to get there!

*Have a passion for something and want to share it with the world

*Goal setting (know what you are going to do each day & how you are going to do it)

*Resouceful (Use the resources around you)

*Not afraid to ask and seek help from more experienced entrepreneurs

How Grow Well could help Busy Betty:

• have easily read graphics that show nutrition for each package
• include an app with pre-made meal planning suggestions using Grow Well’s food options, perhaps in combination with other foods.
• email busy betty a weekly shopping list, perhaps with coupons.
• invite Busy Betty to a cooking workshop so that she can see the quality that is going into the prepared foods marketed towards her for her baby
• team up with other prepared healthy food companies that market towards adults and children, include suggestions and coupons to make weekly shopping easier
• offer a delivery program, like a CSA box of baby food.

 
For [targeted customers], my business is the [point of reference (i.e., business category, type of business or service)], that does/provides/makes/brings [benefit] better than the competition because of [difference between you and competitor].”
Positioning Statement:

For health- conscious individuals, The BEST Toothpaste is a company that provides an effective, all-natural, pH balanced toothpaste that is suitable for people with sensitive teeth.

Visioning Staement (in 5 years…)

• How much revenue do you want to make? (be ambitious but realistic with your numbers) $60,000/yr
• How many employees or customers do you want to have? 5 employees (manufacturing, sales, book-keeping), $10/jar x 6000 jars = ~ 2000 customers.
• What other achievements would be meaningful to you? expansion of product line from market to store…
• How do you want people to think of your company? Local, trusworthy, affordable, ethical, honest

Within the next 3 years, The Best Toothpaste aims to be Vancouver Island’s go to product line for natural toothpastes. We will go through the prototyping process to introduce three unique flavours, find niche marketing opportunities to bring this toothpaste to the audience it is meant for (people who are searching for natural toothpaste…), spreading the word through marketing at local markets, having an online presence, and through sales through local businesses.

What’s included in this new feature?
• Last date the user logged-in
• Last t
What’s included in this new feature?
• Last date the user logged-in
• Last topic/lesson the user completed
• User completion status
• List of topics/lessons the user has completed and not yet completed
• Percent of the course the user has completed
opic/lesson the user completed
• User completion status
• List of topics/lessons the user has completed and not yet completed
• Percent of the course the user has completed

AODA Consulting, With accessibility products to create more inclusive environments for those living with disabilities.

Positivity, Optimism, Driven, Try to Make a Change in the World, Enthusiastic, Determination, Intelligence, Creativity, Resilience, Adaptability, and Hard Work Ethic.

Time to ReflectNow, take about 10–15 minutes to think of some of the ideas that we could brainstorm for Grow-Well to help “Busy Betty” manage her schedule and save time, and be confident in what she’s feeding her baby (some of her key needs). There’s the food itself, but what are some other ideas for how we can best serve Betty?

• Saving Betty time on shopping, food preparation and time in general.
• Perfectly proportioned portions for the baby
• Make time to prep food for the baby once a week.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

I believe that knowing failure is never the end of something, pushing through hard times with a positive outlook is important.

Never allowing fear to make decisions for you, if you fail so what, move on and improve. Failure is just a stepping stone to success.  

Brainstorming for Busy Betty – Grow-Well business

Ideas to help “Busy Betty” manage her schedule and save time, and be confident in what she’s feeding her baby

– Manage schedule: create an app to help with time/schedule management/calendar with updates or reminders on when to prepare food
– Save time: offer prepared baby food, provide online recipes to make at home, cooking classes, online shopping/delivery service (weekly food box)
– Be confident: provide comprehensive list of natural ingredients and more info on sourcing (transparency), give more info on how the ingredients used are healthy and help baby meet their nutrition needs (on website, blog)

Brands:
McDonald’s – quick, cheap and easy food, enjoy with friends and family
Coca Cola – ‘refreshing’, young, friends, adventure

Expenses from last 2 weeks:

second cup – want

starbucks – want

Quinn’s -want

Happy goat  coffee – want

cameo – want

eggnog latte – want

notary fee – need

food for cottage – need

dynacare – need

second cup -want

transit – need

Town  restaurant – want

cell phone – need

herb & spice – want

Tami’s hot chocolate – want

second cup – want

You’re familiar with failure

You’re dedicated and passionate about the work

You’re willing to make sacrifices

You’re able to be vulnerable and ask for help

You take care of your mental health

You are creative and resourceful

You study when you don’t know, and ask questions until you figure it out

You are a researcher

You are able to admit when you’re wrong and learn from it

You let yourself feel the emotion, then continue forward

You’re open to new ways of doing things

You just do it

You do not procrastinate or put off things that need to be done in the now

It’s helpful to think about your own experiences and background. What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing? — my network, my travel experiences, my education, my community development and volunteer experience. my knowledge of African Heritage Gallery. I am interested in social enterprise, working with marginalized communities, wellness, and travel. I find businesses that connect different ideas intriguing. seemingly very different concepts that are brought together with some common theme

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have? –> an entrepreneur needs to be flexible, resilient, innovative, ambitious, they need to have a growth mindset, an open mind, they need to be determined and know how to persevere, they need to be optimistic

Betty Ideas:

1. Pre-made food in bulk batches – environmentally friendly
2. Easy to grab small meal size options
3. Food targeted towards specific goals, energy, growth, bed time, super foods
4. Delivery service
5. Limited ingredient food
6. Frozen options
7. Healthy snack – gummy/cracker type of options

Initial Business Idea:

Creating barrier-free housing in Peterborough for:

• people with disabilities
• seniors

Should I start a business that would help the planet like fixing squeaky doors, paving bumpy roads (especially side streets) and ensuring that transit buses have the right of way?

qualitative research is focused on investigative research and looks at real world situations (gathering storys or verbal data) Gives insight to problem or gives idea for potnetioal quantitaive research also gives you a better idea peoples behaviours matiovs and opions

common types

indepth indevidul or group interviews, foucus groups observations

Quantitative research is focused on finding and using number based information or info that can be changes into usable stats

data to measure explan facts anf find pattrens

get quantitative datat using surveyséinterviewséonline polls.

Why an entrepreneur?

• Freedom
• Flexibility
• Shape my life how I see fit
• I don’t fit into the traditional corporate life
• Opportunity to work with one of my passions
• Be my own boss
• Create my own solutions (according my philosophy of life)
• Opportunity to contribute for the world’s sustainability
• Earn a fair wage (don’t be a explored employee)

”As the old adage goes, entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t”.

My strengths?

• Creative
• Energetic
• Organization
• Open  mind
• Plan ahead of time
• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Resourcefulness (the ability to find solutions to problems)

My weakness?

• Anxiety
• Self confidence
• Scared by defeat
• Difficulty to be decisive and take action
• Difficulty for uncertainty
• Creating a purpose in life for myself
• Believing in myself
• Set and prioritize goals
• Sales skills

My interests?

• Environment/sustainability
• Waste management/ zero waste
• Healthy lifestyle
• Sports, body exercises
• Arts
• Kids
• Travel

What immediate comes to my mind as a business idea:
Vegan food.  Snacks. Delivery at home. Catering. Sustainability. Zero waste.

entrepreneurship requires an indivual to be accountable, perrsistant and compassionate.

Helping seniors who need more help then family and friends can provide at times.

What is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

My answers:

1. self-starter
2. not afraid of change/able to have routine upended
3. able to work independently
4. manages time well
5. believes in oneself, not concerned about others opinions about them
6. belief in vision/goal
7. willing to work non-stop to achieve goal and keep it afloat
8. know how to delegate and not micromanage
9. good people skills
10. responsible, efficient, dependable
11. manages finances well, and office work

Entrepreneur answers:

1. Ready to be wrong.
2. Ready to learn more.
3. Willing to keep an open mind.
4. Comfortable with uncertainty/ambiguity.
5. Not worried about trying to get it perfect the first time. This is what’s known as the beginner’s mindset.

What do you think are the main advantages of being an employee?

1. pension
2. benefits
3. fixed income
4. leave work at work
5. fixed schedule

And the advantages of running your own business?

1. potential to earn more money
2. flexible work schedule
3. provide quality of work that matches ones values
4. work with people you like and respect
5. provide quality employment (value employees)

What are the main challenges of both? (employee/entrepreneur)

1. poor pay, poor work schedule, not valued, expected to do inferior work, work with difficult people, poor working conditions, work trumps being a human being, doing work that does not inspire, little opportunity for advancement
2. no pension or benefits, income will fluctuate (not fixed), 100% responsibility relies on owner, must wear all hats or know who to hire and delegate to, must have finger on pulse and be willing to flex as required, always be ON

Answers to entrepreneur versus employee:

1. You’re responsible for all decisions. (what needs to be done has to be done)
2. You need to hold both short and long-term visions at the same time.
3. Feeling uncomfortable is your new ‘comfort zone’. (takes courage/thick skin)
4. Learning is a continuous journey. (learn many new skills)
5. Numbers don’t lie.
6. Love your business. (not interested in status quo)
7. Your time isn’t linear.
8. Start now.

Why is industry research important?

1. To learn trend direction/Get a sense of present and future opportunities
2. To see if there is competition
3. To better understand the scope and depth of service to offer
4. To gear and direct services more accurately

Answers to why is industry research important?

1. Understand your competition.
2. Know what kind of conditions your business will operate in.
3. Find good ideas about what other businesses are doing.
4. Look for potential business partners.
5. Make sure that your business idea is realistic.

Ideas to consider:

• talk to some local coaches/sport organizations such as
  • the gymnastics centre’s program coordinators
  • hockey team coaches
• how to become non-profit
  • how to connect to organizations for sponsorship
    • person’s in low income situations/households

Business idea:
* martial arts school
** primary focus on wing chun
** secondary focus on karate (with younger children)
* may partner with gymnastics centre and its Little Ninjas program (gymnastics and parkour)

Here’s a simple example to give you an idea of what we mean:

My goal is… to build a sand castle

Pick a flat spot with fine sand
Make sure sand is moist
Use pails of different sizes
Carve out design
Gather shells and decorate

Topic 2-4Here’s a simple example to give you an idea of what we mean:

My goal is… to build a sand castle

Pick a flat spot with fine sand
Make sure sand is moist
Use pails of different sizes
Carve out design
Gather shells and decorate

What is an entrepreneur?
-an entrepreneur is someone who starts their own business(s)
-a creative, an innovator
-finds a niche in a market
-fills a need for a product, service

Being an Entrepreneur not an employee means…
1. You’re responsible for all decisions.
2. You need to hold both short and long-term visions at the same time.
3. Feeling uncomfortable is your new ‘comfort zone.’
4. Learning is a continuous journey.
5. Numbers don’t lie.
6. Love your business.
7. Enjoy breaking rules.
8. Your time isn’t linear.
9. Start now.

Topic 2-5

Here are some basic goal setting tips:

• Write your goal down
• Map out the steps you need to take to get there
• Start with step 1, without worrying about the others
• Tackle each step one at a time

Here’s a simple example to give you an idea of what we mean:

My goal is… to build a sand castle

1. Pick a flat spot with fine sand
2. Make sure sand is moist
3. Use pails of different sizes
4. Carve out design
5. Gather shells and decorate

–First draft–

1. Pick a location
2. write some exercises (parts of lesson plans/curriculum)
3. establish schedule
4. create some advertisements
   1. posters, online postings
5. procure students

Topic: 3-3

What industry does my idea (Kung fu school) fit into?
-health/fitness/exercise/martial arts/coaching/peace of mind?

Why is industry research so important?
-be aware of competition
-location benefits/concerns
-pricing
-learning about target audience
-discovering potential partners
-develop new ideas and what competitors are doing differently

Topic 5-3

Busy Betsy
How can she better

Film and media production company

• resilient – ready to ride the roller coaster of ups and downs
• humble – it’s okay to make mistakes or be wrong
• open – to suggestions, new ideas and critics
• determined – to persevere thru the difficulties & tough decisions

• enough drive to follow your own schedule and push yourself to be organized and keep on track, this is either with own personal goals or things that have to get done.

What is the mindset of an ent
repreneur ?
Driven
Goal oriented
Unbiased
Open to criticism
Stong willed
Stubborn
Strong
Open
Easy going
Sets goals
Communication oriented
Versitile
Flexible
Ootimistic

My focus: Event Planning and Event Management

Key services: Weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, festivals

How do I wnat to brand myself?tefedf
Innovative, diverse, equitable, pushing the barriers of high quality event production

Tips for busy betty:

-research a local organic baby foods company

-have the products delivered on a weekly basis – this will give Betty more time to herself on the weekends

-check for a company that also prepares organic breakfasts and lunches for her 7 year old

Famous brands: Google, Nike, Samsung, Sony, Mercedes, Gucci, Louis Vuitton

• Businesses that offer beauty products and services
• Businesses that provide information about different routines for self care
• Leave your appointment looking and feeling your best
• Targeting a certain age group
• networking through social media
• home based business

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

Not afraid to fail. Ready to learn. Ready to build. Understanding there will be ups and downs.

My mindset needs to be shifted a tad, to realize that it’s not going to be perfect the first time(as i’ve been trying to do). Also understanding that what I started 6 months ago could eventually turn into something so much different(but the same idea), with an open-mind.

Feb. 11, 2020

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

Open-mindedness

Dec. 22, 2019

Everyone who wants to begin their own business starts out at a different point and brings their own experiences, challenges, and strengths with them on their trek.

It’s helpful to think about your own experiences and background. What strengths do you bring to this process? I have pre-exposure to business and entrepreneurship already, via family ties. I, myself, have a bit of experience doing business and knowing a bit of a basis in interacting with business, via gifted program, life experience, and curiosity. I am pretty good at numbers and being able to do quick math. I have a vast array of resources/people that are willing to help me on my journey. I have an innate curiosity that help expand on an encyclopedia  of knowledge.

What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing? Take some time to think about what you bring to your entrepreneurship trek! My interest range through a variety of things that help allow me to pull on an expansive web of knowledge and experience. I have experiences in the math and sciences. I love art and the aspect of creating things. The idea of gather people and showcasing various creations excites me. I find businesses that are able to connect with a cause, community, and inspire change interest me. I want to be able to create and share things that are ethical and revolutionary to change and how we see/interact with the world. Businesses that do not just put profit at the top of the list of their priorities, but people/planet/universal’s well-being.

Do you already have an idea for your business? It doesn’t matter if it’s not a “perfect” business idea yet; you’ll be developing this as you move through the course. Jot down what immediately comes to mind for you as a business idea. I feel like I have a collection of business ideas, it’s just deciding on which one to pursue first. I feel like I want to be able to hone in and gain more experience/knowledge through this first business plan and be able to translate that to other thing that I want to foster as well. I am looking to start a business within the Fashion and Health industry. Right now, I have been making really beautiful/unique jewelry pieces (rings, necklaces, chokers, bracelets, earrings, etc.) that I have been successful able to market and sell at local vending events. I have been working more and more on creating a brand and hone in on various technique to really expand and professionalize my brand/business. In addition to jewelry, there is also a selection of various clothing items that are marketed as a brand for “artist” and anyone unique in their expression. My creations are not too tradition in the sense, that it doesn’t always follow standard protocol and throw people for a loop. I later see my business expanding to incorporate perfumes/cologne as well. I can see this expanding on to other things as well, but this is just a start.

Basic idea: Custom baked goods for birthdays, events, catering etc. Maybe even cafes and restaurants. Mainly sweets but potentially savouries too.

most important mindsets for entrepreneurs: adaptable. solution driven vs catatrophising. able to ask for help. driven to ask questions and learn from others. willing to take risks. willing to examine own behaviour and fix mistakes. willing to adjust expectations. willing to adjust business model. not get too attached to a specific idea and neglect the bigger picture. always looking to improve on existing systems/ideas/etc. added from lesson: comfortable with uncertainty, not worried about being perfect.

5.3 – Grow-well could include easy feeding instructions based on baby age and weight, on the packaging and the website. They could have automatic order deliveries based on this. They could include automatic curated packages with different flavours for a balanced diet. They could have an app that tracks what varieties and amounts have been sold to Betty in the past. This would help if her baby shows any allergies or digestive issues. They could partner with local grocery stores – for parents wanting to make their own food after taking the class, the ingredients they need to buy could be explained and the recipes based off of the real products they would find at the store near them, this would make less waste and be convenient. They could also have info on the app about proper food safety so that parents know how to store the food etc.

My business idea: Hydroponic Agriculture

IDEA 1: Life Coaching

• Online coaching presence (instagram, twitter, fb, youtube, pinterest)
• Online courses (thinkific)
• Life coaching 1:1 (singles and packages)
• Book – self-published

IDEA 2: Holistic Health Center

• Additional Certifications: HeartMath, CCF, Hydrocolontherapy
• Have Business Partner(s)?
• Includes: mini cafe (partner with local cafe) w/ seating area, yoga/workshop/meditation room, offices, hydrocolontherapy room, products/books/herbs
• product: Bowel Brush

Mindset – growth mindset, optimistic, resilient, solution-focused, intentional, slow and steady, teamwork, networking, delegating, organized.

Busy Betty Ideas

Daily Mom Tips/Recipes/grocery lists on social medias, maybe an app

lists of clean/unclean competitor baby products

fun imagery on products for babies to enjoy too

fundraising for issues concerning moms and children, or portion of profits

What is the goal?

The goal is to help others find their healing, through whatever resources, knowledge and experiences I have had, that I am able to connect them to.

Why is it important to have goals?

Because without them, we are passionless and directionless. Humans are here to express our unique and divine lights. That requires us to follow our hearts and to take leaps to see what is possible. We are beings that have consciousness, we are meant to CREATE things.

Mission Statement:

For individuals who are tired of suffering, Self Luv First is a holistic life coaching service for those seeking natural ways of healing themselves. Self Luv First provides personalized healing plans that fit the goals of the individual. I help individuals learn and practice different methods of healing so they can reclaim their power over their health and their lives.

WITHIN THE NEXT 5 YRS

Self Luv First will be a leading center for holistic healing and communing in Victoria, BC providing a wide range of services and products. While also prioritizing low income options and giving back to the community through it’s charities.

Income Source
Cost
Questions

30 min consult

Sliding scale (20-100)

60 min consult

Sliding scale (40-100)

Intuitive reading

$30

Master my cards…

Book/ebook

?

Personal stories & BMS connections?

Freemium

$0

Mini version of course/coaching outline?

Thinkific course

$150

DIY version of my coaching outline?

Bowel Brush Product

$15?

How do I make a supplement/food product and bring it to market?

Affiliate sales

?

Amazon, others?

Social media

?

YouTube, insta potential? how?

The Centre

Colonics

$50-100

Which machine? money? Certification?

Sauna

$10-$20

Infared? Money?

Renters

Per room/per hour ?

Partners, subletters?

Workshops

Sliding scale (20-50)

Host myself, partners, others (rent)

Cafe

Snack and bev ?

Partner with jusu/bliss/marta/other or make my own?

Other products

?

Herbs, enema supplies, supplements, books etc? Find supplier.

It depends on what the specific entrepreneur wants to accomplish, though there are some attributes that could be generalized. Personally, I believe successful entrepreneurs should be empathetic; however, I find this to not be the case all too often. For me, entrepreneurship should not be concentrated on wealth generation, at least not to the degree it often is. Instead, entrepreneurship, ideally, should be about helping people and solving problems. If our incentive is to solve problems instead of simply make money, there will be far more problems that we can solve. Despite all of this, any entrepreneur, whether I consider their intentions good or bad, should be adaptive and creative. It’s one thing to have an idea, it’s another to be flexible enough to make it happen. Moreover, an entrepreneur should be passionate. If one is not passionate about what they do, how are they going to help the people they intend to? Passion, adaptability, and most certainly, empathetic.

The goal is to construct the necessary organizational capacity and infrastructure to help everyday residents grow food, share food, and improve their community.

What makes a good enterprenuer?

-Good listening skills

-Acceptance of others opinions

-An open and humble attitude

-An eye for detail (the outside the box thinking)

-The ability to shift and switch up ideas

-A clear intention

I want to start a print making business. I want to sell my art and take commissions.

je me reconnais plus chez adnan. Je n’aimttoe pas beaucoup les réseaux sociaux et je n’ai pas confiance en moi. j’ai l’impression d’être un imposteur même si je dispose de beaucoup de connaissances dans mon domaine. J’ai du mal a m’organisé lorsque je suis seule et j’arrive vite a ne rien faire.

comment faire connaitre mes services à ma population cible.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

Être optimiste, voir le verre à moitié plein afin de pouvoir surmonter les différents obstacles qui se dressent sur le chemin de la réussite. Pouvoir parler des erreurs commises afin d’apprendre et savoir demander de l’aide.

service interressant lorsque

-expatriation

-difficulte a trouver des informations dans sa langue maternelle

-pas de famille sensation d’isolement

-horaire de travail important/business trip

-pb pdt la grossesse, alitement, repos

-coronavirus eviter de sortir pour eviter les contamination

landscape of player

sage femme/infirmer / doula /chilbirth educator/ hopitaux/mamans

competitor Caroline de ville medecin belge IBCLC…

Quantik mama sage femme canadienne

Marie fortier

mere et monde

business partner 

physio osteo

naturopathe

medecin

compagnie allaitement

portage en echarpe…

Busy Betty is in need of help. if she doesn’t get more support she will burn out and or start losing her hair. It seems like the grow well baby food company could offer support by having some kind of support calling number for when she is really having a difficult time balancing everything and or when she feels like she is going crazy or when and if she feels depressed… maybe some kind of group online on a social outlet? Connecting her with other mothers in her area in similar situations, so she can get support that way.. make some friends that can take the kids , even one kid sometimes so she can get a break. There could be an app for the company with all these resources. Possibly having a cooking class app for the food that goes into the grow well baby food… Grow well could share where they’re sourcing their ingrdients ( veggies and fruits) and allow their customers to buy these ingredients through orders with grow well?!

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?
Driven, Goal Oriented, Open Minded, Creative, Problem Solving, “If at first you dont succeed”…,

Busy Betty Key Needs: Help she can Trust, Quality Ingredients for her Children, Peace of Mind
-Single Use Meals for baby – easy transportation,
-Partnering with Local Farms to ensure Quality of Ingredients
-Working Markets / Local venues : farm to table = transparency
-‘Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner’ meal blends for baby = Easy, pre determined, no stress in choosing
IE, Banana Breakfast, Squash Soup Supper & Crackers, Lumpy Potato Lunch
Meals are Canned in individual serving size Jars for Travel, and Larger for at home use
Canning negates need for preservatives, ensuring only the best ingredients go into baby’s food

What are some social trends that impact your business/ the social needs of your business?

What are technological trends that impact your business / the technological needs of your business?

What are some environmental trends that impact your business/ the environmental needs of your business?

It’s helpful to think about your own experiences and background. What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing?
I bring a background in banking and knowing a little bit about the loan process and setting up a business account. I have also worked in a MLM company which gives a great foundation for building a business. I am also very good at communicating to people and getting them excited about the thing they are interested in, so I think that would translate very well into whatever business I decide to move forward with.

I am interested in writing, rap, reading, design, anything creative (drawing, stories, ceramics, etc.), gaming, business, math, and science.

I find anything with a component of helping people or the environment intriguing. whether it be assisting someone to find a job and keeping an eye out, proof reading a paper or document to figuring out a way to get micro-plastics out of the ocean and working on a way to reduce plastic consumption.

Do you already have an idea for your business? It doesn’t matter if it’s not a “perfect” business idea yet; you’ll be developing this as you move through the course.

I have an idea of a publishing/publication company or a record label. I feel like they could both be combined in some way.
What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?
I think having a never give up attitude. Along with when doubt creeps in, being able to contain the doubt it and think about why doubt is setting in. The ability to reflect is huge, where your business is at and where you want it to go, what is your goal in developing your product, service, or tech , and how much time are you willing/able to put in per week/day. I’m sure there are a lot of things, but the last thing I would say is pivoting or transitioning the idea to something that fits in with what people want or the market is asking for.

• Ready to be wrong.
• Ready to learn more.
• Willing to keep an open mind.
• Comfortable with uncertainty/ambiguity.
• Not worried about trying to get it perfect the first time. This is what’s known as the beginner’s mindset.

Being an Entrepreneur not an employee means…

1. Your responsible for all decisions
2. You need to hold both short and long term visions at the same time
3. Feeling uncomfortable is your new ‘comfort zone’
4. Learning is a continuous journey
5. Numbers don’t lie
6. Love your business
7. Enjoy breaking rules
8. Your time isn’t linear
9. Start now

3 Gears of Business Design

1. Empathy & Deep Human Understanding – Understand people’s needs
2. Concept Visualization – Explore new possibilities
3. Strategic Business Design – Turn ideas into actionable strategy

1.4 business ideas-beauty,weed,delivery service

2.1

Industry research is important to find out who else is running the same business as me, the potential future competitors. It’s also important to find out any data available to determine my target market, the demographics and psychographic.

3.3 Primary Research

Questionnaires, surveys, or interviews

Qualititativy Research (Collect Stories)

Quantitative research (Collect Numbers)

Ideas

1. Using old shopiing centre to use as a factory
2. Open an insulation factory made from recycled clothing
3. Use recycled clothing to upolster furniture, make blankets and carpets

compassion

knowledge

patience

power

inspiration

growth mindset

Insurance company
Credit card company
Technological company(glasses)
Cancer treating glasses
Electric commercial airliners

Hello

I relate with Adnan and a bit with June. I want to be self sufficient and live outside of the home but im worried about finances. I know what I want to do but I don’t always think things through and sometimes jump to conclusions too fast and embarrass myself. Im a walking OOF.  I really want to grow my client base, be organized, have all the necessary legal documentation etc, but Im nervous of burning out or that I don’t have the necessary skills. Im also worried of humiliating myself or of going too fast. I am scared I will make a wrong decision and screw everything up, or market myself wrong.

My Business Idea:

I want to be a dog trainer. I want to start with helping people choose and train their pet dogs, but I am determined to build up the skills to teach scent detection, dog sports, and competitive obedience. I will train working dogs in a variety of venues, specializing as I become more certain in my abilities. I would like to spend the next 5-10 years experimenting in a wide variety of venues including: Therapy, Service, SAR( limitations), Protection/military/bitesport ( Likely will choose different venue as I don’t know I want to train attack dogs), and scent detection for environmental conservation. My true goal is the environmenetal conservation aspect. Training working dogs often has a similar basis of socialization and basic training with further specialization, so I do think I could train dogs for numerous positions, placing the dog according to his aptitude. I want to teach retrieval dogs for disability for calmer dogs and environmental clean up fro higher energy dogs. I want to run a whole facility with equipment and space to be a power house. Ill need puppy raisers, scent detection equipment, the right skills, I will have to start by proving my own dogs. I want to change the world with my dogs.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

everything started as an idea

let dreams inspire and guide you

• Business Plan: your business plan is essential to getting your business started and moving in the
right direction. It’s also a living document that will grow and change as your business does. Your
mentor may use the Initial Business Plan Assessment tool to help you update and improve your plan.
• Business Cycles: your mentor will help you understand the nature of a business cycle and provide
insight into the behaviour of industry sectors, banks, customers and suppliers.
• Communication Skills: entrepreneurs need great verbal, written and electronic communication skills
to successfully work with customers, suppliers and business contacts. Ask your mentor about
common practices and professional etiquette for these types of communications. Talk with your
mentor about your communication style and ask for feedback and suggestions about how you can
strengthen your communication skills.
• Service Expectations: the success of your business will be built on your ability to provide acceptable
levels of service to your customers and suppliers. You should have an understanding of what is
expected in terms of response times, payment terms, quality and handling complaints.
• Pricing: whether you are selling goods or buying supplies, you need to understand pricing practices.
For example, you should know when and how to negotiate a lower purchase price from a supplier.
• Intellectual Property: business owners must know when and how to protect their creative ideas and
also how to avoid violating the intellectual property of others.
• Networking: talk with your mentor about how to plan and develop your network. This includes
becoming more connected to the direct business community, associates and colleagues. Plus, your
mentor may have ideas about the best networking approaches and events for you to attend.

❶ Stop talking: You can’t multi-task speaking and listening. If you’re talking, you’re not listening. This
rule also applies to the talking inside your head. If you’re concentrating on what to say, when to say it, or
how to say it, you’re not listening to what is being said.

“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and
willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that
nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will
not wait. Life does not look back.”
–Paulo Coelho; Brazilian lyricist and novelist

RESEARCH:

Know your industry:
Learn trends, target customers, other players in the game.

Primary Research (surveys, questionnaires, ) Secondary research ( reading articles, studies, other peoples work)

Qualitative: emotional, insightful, helps develop ideas and theories. Peoples opinions and feelings. Subjective. Broad.

ex: interviews, questionnaires, group interviews. Participation. Observations.

Quantitative:  Focuses on the numbers. can be turned into statistics. can support or go against ideas formed from Qualitative research. Measurable, used to explain facts and uncover trends or patterns. Specific and objective.

Ex. Surveys. Online polls. do studies.

For Spirited K9’s:
What do people expect their dog to know. what level of training ‘should’ the typical pet have. How do people liek to train their dogs. What are the emotional implications of different training methods on animal and human partner. How much encouragement vs discipline do people and dogs need.

What is the market for working K9s. How can environmental conservation dogs be used in meaningful ways in daily life. How many pet owners would be willing to train their dog for ‘working’ positions if they had the opportunity.
What is the outline of a customer willing to do advanced training, versus thee customer who wants basics. Why do people own dogs to begin with.
How many people are satisfied with their relationship with their dog.
How many dogs show signs of major training or behavioral issues.
What are barriers for most owners in having a well behaved dog.

Are owners of certain breeds more or less likely to seek trainer assistance.

Is there a current economic niche for environmental conservation dogs. Is there a place in the market that could be created. What kind of organizations would want to partner with environmental conservation dogs.

STEEP Analysis:
Do proper research by gathering both quantitative (numbers) and qualitative data (stories) to confirm new trends in the industry or area your business idea falls into. These are trends caused by changes in Society, Technology, Environment, Economy, and Politics (STEEP).

Use information from your research (using articles, books, websites, your own observations, etc.), and select interesting trends related to your business idea or business area (e.g., Adnan would look at trends in the food industry).

Key Players:
Veterinarians, Groomers, Gear Makers, Breeders, Sport judges, trainers, dog walkers, working kennels, academies, online schools, rescues, pet shops, food companies,

What do I want to find out and why. What do I want to find out about it.

Albert Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”Albert Einstein said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you eLaveverywhere.”

Entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki said, Lave“The best reason to start an organization is to make meaning — to create a product or service to make the world a better place.”

The exploration of meaning and doing work that changes the world is something that drives every entrepreneur. If you find yourself unsatisfied with a life that relegates you to the sidelines or the background, entrepreneurship may well be the right path for you. Entrepreneurs learn by doing and explore with a voracious appetite.

If the status quo is too simple for you, you understand one of the genuine reasons people choose entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurs don’t just want to change their lives — they want to change the world.

Mark Twain explained the lure of entrepreneurship best when he wrote, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Notes after Lesson 5.3

Other business products for NAFSI:

Lavender Sachets with products

NAFSI home prints

Wellness kit for the holidays

Lesson 6.3
For [targeted customers], my business is the [point of reference (i.e., business category, type of business or service)], that does/provides/makes/brings [benefit] better than the competition because of [difference between you and competitor].”
For the. conscious consumer who cares about their health & environment, my business is the [point of reference (i.e., business category, type of business or service)] line of sustainable fashion, that provides luxury, sustainable clothing [benefit] better than the competition because of the fact that it grow with the community, with proceeds supporting different communities such as new-comer women in Canada, the tragedy relief fund in Lebanon, and underprivileged children around the world. [difference between you and competitor].”

For busy parents who care about their children’s health [target customer], Grow-Well is the custom organic food maker [type of business] that provides healthy food options for babies and toddlers. Grow-Well provides individual consultations to create menus that fit the needs of the individual baby and the parents [benefits to the customer]. We use only high quality organic ingredients and healthy cooking processes that parents can trust [why it’s better than competitor’s].

Within the next five years, NAFSI will be the top sustainable-luxury provider in North America, with annual revenues of over 500,000 dollars by providing high quality garments that are kind to your skin & environment while supporting underprivileged communities throughout the process.

pick up from 8.6 to check out grants and funding opportunities

complete 8.7 “over to you” – was this done?

pick up from 9.4

What strengths do you bring to this process?

1. creative problem solving
2. good at asking for help
3. spatial reasoning
4. attention to detail
5. continuous learning
6. passion project
7. people like me
8. artistic
9. a lot of free time and flexibility
10. broad knowledge base
11. General computer skills

What are you interested in?

1. found objects/reclaiming
2. mixed/multimedia
3. colour
4. texture
5. cute
6. fun and functional
7. learn all the things
8. recycling
9. representation
10. educating people

What types of businesses do you find intriguing?

1. restaurants
2. co-ops/collective workspaces
3. art studios
4. thrift shops
5. supply stores

doing what you like doing while providing a service to customers and making money.

you’re ready to be wrong

you’re ready to change

PIVOT your business model if need be

be original

Business Ideas:

Branding for Musicians Consultancy

Making custom skateboard graphics

A fashion brand that blends streetwear and functionality through quality fabrics.

phone bill, car repairs, take out, instruments,

My biggest strength as a person is that I am not afraid to take reasonable risks. I look at my life as an adventure and I don’t ever settle for something just because I am scared of what I actually want. My other qualities I consider strengths are perseverance, persistence, drive, ambition, as well as a ability to learn quickly.

Some of my challenges include being disciplined and following a schedule, organization, as well as being optimistic at times.

I bring a lot of entry-level work experience and writing that I have developed through academics and volunteer work. I have no prior experience running a business.

The most important mindset for an entrepreneur to have:

• don’t give up
• You won’t get anywhere if you’re not giving your 100%
• ask for help
• things will not be handed to you
• stay creative

Lesson 1

1.4- Bringing your own experience

Creating a series of selection pathways to match people with clothing based on body type and style preference. Connecting with smaller designers who run smaller batches in order to cut back on pollution. Kill fast fashion. Give designers a place to sell. Connect individuals with stylists who can elevate any outfit, wardrobe, or capsule collection. Empower customers to buy clothing in a way that makes them feel more confident in the end result.

*finish interviewee gather, missing some numbers and email addresses

Lesson 2

2.4 The Entrepreneur Mindset

“What mindset should an entrepreneur have?”

• The ability to fail, and learn from failure.
• to be able to try again after failing
• Understands that they can’t do it all
• Knows how to lead, follow, and delegate
• Keep moving forward
• ability to learn, and always learn.

2.6 Business Design and Design Thinking

The 3 Gears of Business Design

1. Empathy and Deep User Understanding (Understand what people’s needs and problems are)
2. Concept Visualization (Explore ideas/ how might we better meet that need?)
3.  Strategic Business Design (Turn the ideas into actionable strategy)

*Dead link for craigslist study

*Think on the time management matrix, what are some urgent things that pop up in your day that are not dire and very important? Reach out to PK in a few days if you need additional examples

Lesson 3

3.4 Knowing the Terrain: STEEP

Trend Assessment in Quadrants

High Impact

Unlikely to Occur  <———-|———> Likely to Occur

Low Impact

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• Flexible and adaptive to change
• They have a strong core belief system that no matter what happens, never changes
• They have a strong sense to put other’s needs first
• Being able to push through hardships
• Failing is better than doing nothing at all because failing means you’re making progress
• They are eager and open to making mistakes and learning from those
• Continuously learning
• Open to new experiences
• Not afraid to ask for help
• They surround themselves with sound people
• They listen and seek the council of their mentors

1.4

Interests

• Social media
• Writing
• Organizing, minimalism

Ideas

• Creating communities, hosting workshops
• Teaching others

Feldman Enterprise Services provides customized solutions to  small businesses and solopreneurs that offer sustainable and quality goods and services to the community to ensure all of the administrative tasks are taken care of to free up time for revenue generating activities.

– Business idea: Clothing Shopping Boutique.

– The most important mindset an entrepreneur should have is: never give up and to stay focussed.

• Tell me more about how you plan your meals.
• What’s a typical visit to the grocery store like for you?
• Tell me the best and the worst stories about feeding your baby.
• What’s your tidying up and washing up routine?
• Have you ever interacted with a company about their baby products? What was that like?

• SOCIAL NEED – What does the customer need from relationships with the people around them?
• PHYSICAL NEED – What does the customer need on a functional and practical level?
• EMOTIONAL NEED – What does the customer need emotionally?
• COMMUNICATION NEED– What information or knowledge does the customer need?

Brand names that come to mind – Nike, Rudsak, Adidas.

Lesson 10 – Organic food partners.

Business Ideas:

Custom clothing/tailoring business

Maybe focus on bridal dressing bridesmaids abayas dirac etc

Social media focused on fashion to promote my business

Mindset an entrepreneur should have:

Positive

Creative/Curious

Brave/Not afraid to try new things and fail

Self-Motivated and independant

Special Stars Dating

Customer profile.

1. Ruzbeh
2. He is currently attending Ottawa university and wants to live the dream like the rest of us, he has friends and is very social but is also dedicated to getting good grades to keep his parents proud. He prioritizes school over putting time to trade but not as much as Andy and Yaz because he’s seen the true potential of which options trading has since he’s been buying signals, coerced into business by an individual he claims to know, yet speaking in the native trading lingo I was able to make him shit himself on how amazing my platform truely is and the technology that’s behind it, and he respects this because he would rather take orders from some robot rather than some dick that doesn’t even know what he’s talking about, maybe or maybe he does, nobody really knows but with the robot Ruzbeh has strong ground that the decision making processes of my financial machine learning models will clearly give him a much better edge when looking to “place a bet” since Ruzbeh is still a newly wed when it comes to trading, he’s had his honeymoon and he’s seen how great things can get but he’s also seen her bad side, and having that happen this early on he really had to take some time to consider what the frick he had done, but he was already married to the money once he realized what was at stake here as did the rest of us degenerates wishing to suck the riches dry from the world for their personal gain of power and status. Ruzbeh understand the dream, he understand this is real and achievable to earn an income from trading part time that could quite possibly put his time he spent in school to shame. Ruzbeh remains enthusiastic after he caught wind of what is on the table, yet i don’t believe he did his homework for trading therefore i feel Ruzbeh’s relationship with trading has been tested before and we will have to help him out so he can really start to understand what goes on under the hood of his trades, while also getting an unfair boost from my systems allowing him to spot candle stick patterns like he’s the tesla cyborg senator sent from the future where ai makes all decisions and humans are unnecessary  with laser eye precision accurate focus that never friks up and consistently performs well unlike most humans with a real habit of underperforming on their trading account. (95%)

Business Name: Artesia

Business Structure: Sole Proprietorship

LESSON 1 – Brainstorm

Online personal training- Butch body or Buff butch

Online consultations

one on one training

program prescription

via zoom

weekly check ins

geared towards LGBTQA+++

LESSON 2 -Activity

what is the most important mind set for an entrepreneur to have?

• Ready to fail
• Take a risk
• Plan
• Organize
• Trail and error

 
Time Management Matrix

LESSON 3

name:

Rainbow fit

Target audience- individuals in the LGBTQ2A++ community

Industry Type:
713940 – Fitness and recreational sports centresU
but also mostly individual so the fitness and recreational sports centers can be classified as competition however i am more so the

**812190 Other personal care services – as I am doing one on one services helping individuals lose weight and body re-

PEST, analysis, answer the following questions:

1. What key political and regulatory developments are taking place now? How do these changes affect your market and customers? How do these trends affect your industry, suppliers, partners and customers? Focus your analysis on:

1. tax regulations
2. trade rules
3. environmental legislation

2. Are economic changes affecting your company, your customers or your suppliers? Does this create opportunities, or does it threaten your market potential or your customers’ economy? Focus your analysis on:

1. economic growth rate
2. interest rates
3. currency changes
4. inflation

3. What social and cultural changes are occurring? Focus on shifts in the demographic profile, any broad attitudinal changes, and any cultural trends that may impact the potential of your startup in the short and long term. Look for movement in:

1. demographic trends such as birth rates, aging, and migration patterns
2. attitudes towards healthy lifestyles, organic foods, the environment, and so forth
3. attitudes on issues such as security, executive compensation, and anti-terrorism

4. What key technological trends impact your business? Consider also technology advances that affect your customers and suppliers. Do any of these changes create opportunities or threaten your potential? Focus your analysis on:

1. specific technological breakthroughs
2. the launch of innovative new products
3. areas that undergo much research and development
4. patents that receive publicity

what is a goal? it is the checkpoint in the journey, this can be the end or just a point of referene as to your final destination

why is important to have goals? this is a way to measure progess
—————————————————————
positioning statemnet
who is your target customer? women between 16-45
what business are you in? event planner
What benefit does your business bring to your customer? gives women confidence about their body through activites and lingerie
what makes it better than your competition? there is currently no actual competition for my line of work. we would be the first to break the mold.

For women that are looking to leave their comfort zone and explore their sensuality [target customer], Seven Layer Cake is the custom event [type of business] that provides bodacious options for women of all sizes. Seven Layer Cake provides lessons in pole and chair dancing, boudoir photoshoots, group talks about sexuality and body posititivity that invite women to explore themselves in and out[benefits to the customer]. You will be pampered from the time you arrive and will recieve utmost love and from our first communication [why it’s better than competitor’s].

——————————————-
Vision statment

• How much revenue do you want to make? (be ambitious but realistic with your numbers) 200,000
• How many employees or customers do you want to have? employees- 5/ customers 200
• What other achievements would be meaningful to you? great google reviews, women to enjoy themselves, refferals
• How do you want people to think of your company? creative, meaningful, positive, first in innovating

why save money

• Do you save money on a regular basis? no
• What is your process for putting savings away? try to take a small portion from my income and put it in my saving account
• Why is it important to save? to have for an emergency
  ————————————

I think that if i register for the GST/HST this would be great for my buisness as it will help it seem more professional
———————

Added this note on December 3, 2020

This note is added December 14th with updates to make sure everything is working!

Adding this from within the course – does it work? Yes!

Chris Smith added this note Jan 13 @ 12:08

MY IDEA

Launching my own digital marketing company.

-Social Media Management

-Google PPC

-Facebook advertising

-Instagram advertising

-SEO

-Website Design

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

Confidence in yourself, know that there will be bumps in but you will succeed.

Lesson 6.3 Dec 15 notes test

Lesson 5.3 Dec 15 notes test

Good Morning,

My name is Adam Stacey and I am a 36 year old entrepreneur with a small business number both provincial and federal. I have run my own business for 4 years in 2017 and would like to reopen my petsitting business while adding housesitting, for vacationers, elderly people, all while working in other peoples home, I need funding to have a web page, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and some office equipment possibly an office outside but I need help and guidance 🙏 please help.

Kind Regards,

Adam Stacey
Customer Service Agent
Alorica
1-343-202-5283 (Cell)
1-343-500-1663 (Home)

Vision for Lainey Rae Goldsmith

• Ethically sourced stones and precious metals
• OOAK and limited run jewellery
• Heirloom redesign
• E-commerce plus small physical location, possibly in collaboration with other artisans

Jan 15th 2020 Lesson 2

Mindset is important for anything you do in life.  Hunger for knowledge is paramount.  If you think you know everything then you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Resilience is also crucial.  To be able to pick yourself up and dust yourself off when things don’t go as planned.

The ability to listen to people who know more than you and also to your customers.

Passion for your project

Jan 23rd 2020 Lesson 5

Busy Betty Ideas:

-Meal kit delivery for baby food

-Videos detailing quick and nutritious recipes

-Grocery delivery service

-fresh, frozen food in pre-portioned bags that can be put into the blender like a smoothie

-Website could have ideas for family activities

Test note, Jan 13 @ 7:36 pm by Chris.

• Another note, Jan 14 @ 8:07 am by Chris.

This is my final entry in My Notebook. From Lesson 15.5. Jan 15 @11:15

Lesson 1:

• Fish and Chip Takeway_

Lesson 2:

• Strong minded
• motivated
• goal orientated
• smart
• strict
• confident
• empathetic
• patient
• responsible
• bold
• brave

heavy metal vocals course

Entrepreneur Mindset

• Risk taker
• Always learning
• Make mistakes
• Driven
• Creative imagination/thinking 

Interview questions

1. what made you decide to find skin care products that are natural ?
2. what do you look for when finding a product
3. how long does it take you to complete your full skin care regimen
4. how likely would you purchase a product that was made in Canada and why. Shipment costs ?

Module 1 

What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in?

What types of businesses do you find intriguing? Take some time to think about what you bring to your entrepreneurship trek!

10 Branding Words

_____________

Module 2 

Entrepreneur mindset

• Ready to be wrong
• Ready to learn more
• Willing to keep a more open mind
• Comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity
• Not worried about getting it perfect the first time. This is the beginner’s mindset.

It’s essential to remind yourself that becoming an entrepreneur is a process. Set realistic expectations for yourself, and remind yourself that you don’t have to get it right the first time.

Feeling uncomfortable is your new comfort zone. As an entrepreneur, you need to learn numbers fast to keep your cash flow.

You need to love your business.

HOMEWORK —> BELOW

1. Basic goal setting tips:

• Write your goal down.
• Map out the steps you need to take to get there
• Start with step 1 without worrying about the others.
• Tackle each step one at a time

2. Create a Time Management Matrix

Suggestions! – Human-Centred Design Process

STEP #1 – Discover

• Ask a question. Sometimes not a targeted question. But spend a day with the potential person and talk to them, find out about their needs. For instance:
• What frustrations them about their daily life, their problems, you could follow them throughout their day.
• Find people and talk to them. THE MORE YOU SPEND TIME OBSERVING ( ASK HOW THIS CAN BE DONE IN A PANDEMIC) instead of asking targeted questions. You will come across latent needs.
• Latent needs: issues that are there that are affecting peoples, but we don’t really know its there

STEP #2 – Analyze

• Take all the information you discovered, brainstorm, and see what connects. What trends do you see?
• What did everyone say? What did nobody say?
• What did people with a disability say, than those who are not?
• By doing this, you will create concepts, ideas to form potential problems the user is experiencing.

STEP #3 – Create

• Go into experimenting, and build something.
• Take it out to people, test it with people.e

STEP #4 – TEST ( Human design testing phase)

• Tease out the latent needs and the gaps between WHAT people say and HOW they actually feel
• Human design testing phase. Please give them a product, and act like your not observing them. Let the user approach it the way they would like to. Experience them in their natural habitat
• Observe and reshape the product with new knowledge that may be causing barriers for people.e
• Talk me through the experience.

Ted Talk – Designers By Tim Brown [ notes}

• Design thinking. And that’s the ability to exploit opposing ideas and opposing constraints to create new solutions.s
• The first of those is that design is human-centred. It may integrate technology and economics, but it starts with what humans need or might need. What makes life more comfortable, more enjoyable? What makes technology useful and usable? But that is more than simply good ergonomics, putting the buttons in the right place. It’s often about understanding culture and context before we even know where to start to have ideas.
• Now, prototypes speed up innovation because when we put our ideas out into the world, we start to understand their strengths and weaknesses. And the faster we do that, the faster our ideas evolve.

Question about target audience ( Do i have to narrow down to woman of faith, could i keep that open whenever delivering my pitch, or further explaining my business to others. Although my page will have some post about / Jesus and relation to healing the soul aspect and my movement/ dance videos

Module 3

Why is it important to do industry research? Industry research helps you because…

1. Understand your competition
2. Know what kind of conditions your business will operate in?
3. Find good ideas about what other businesses are doing.
4. Look for potential business partners.
5. Make sure that your business/idea is realistic.

Two types of research primary and secondary :

1. Primary research is new research carried out to answer specific issues or questions. It can involve questionnaires, surveys, or interviews with individuals or small groups. You’ll learn more about how to do your own primary research.
2. Secondary research means you’re looking at or using previously researched information for other purposes and is publicly available (also known as “desk research”). You’ll need to complete secondary research for your business.
3. Quantitave vs Qualitative

STEEP Analysis – (Start to create one, refer to business template sample)

A STEEP analysis is a way to help you identify and define relevant trends that will impact your business.
Why is it important?
It can help you discover gaps in the market that might give you a unique opportunity, and it can help you be prepared for changes in the marketplace.

How to put together a steep analysis:

1. Do proper research by gathering quantitative (numbers) and qualitative data (stories) to confirm new trends in the industry or area your business idea falls into. These are trends caused by changes in Society, Technology, Environment, Economy, and Politics (STEEP).
2. Use information from your research (using articles, books, websites, your own observations, etc.), and select interesting trends related to your business idea or business area (e.g., Adnan would look at trends in the food industry)

Examples of trends themes all may not apply to your business: Society, Technology, Environment, Economy, Political.

Steps to access your trends!!

1.  identified a few trends in your business area
2. Evaluate and figure out which ones are going to be important to you
3.  Focus on trends that are highly likely to happen, and that would impact your business.
4. Analyze your findings.

Refer to the 3.4 class video to utilize the template of the two-step method to create a steep analysis
What is the landscape of players?
This refers to the businesses, organizations, or individuals conducting business in the same marketplace your business will be in or impacting or influencing that market.
Why is it important to figure this out?

• Learning from existing businesses (e.g., failures, successes, inspiring ideas) is very helpful for growth.
• Knowing your competitors well will help you figure out how to differentiate your business from theirs.
• Broadening your horizons will help you think about who might be a good business partner(s).

Steps to identify the above: (SOMETHING YOU MUST DO)

1. Identify the businesses, organizations, and individuals who are conducting business in your industry. You can start with those in the same industry and then expand to those in related or adjacent industries. Later in the course, we’ll come back to this and decide which players are competitors and which might be partners.
2. This is optional, but it can help conduct a review of the activities, trends, and financial results of key players. You can then use this information to understand better the industry you’re working in and get more ideas for your business.

Essential to design thinking – making sure the customer is at the centre of your business planning and design.

Target Customer (target market/target audience): a specific group of people that your product or service is aimed at

3 Reasons why its easier to narrow down and get a target customer:

1. You can’t please everyone
2. You can handle it ( easier)
3. You can learn faster

How do you define your target customers?

• 1. age group
• 2. gender
• 3. marital status,
• 4. job,
• 5. income,
• 6. occupation,
• 7. life stages,
• 8. lifestyle,
• 9. values,
• 10. attitudes,
• 11. behaviour,
• 12. occasion,
• 13. health condition,
• 14. ethnic background,
• 15. geography, etc.

Other things you should think about when choosing or identifying your target customer:

• Do I feel passionate about them/do I care about them?
• Are they easily accessible?
• Are there enough of them? (large enough market size)
• Are there any related trends that I can take advantage of based on my STEEP analysis?
• What does my past experience or gut feeling say? (although it’s not always right, it’s worth listening to your instincts!)

find the right balance > Niche is always better

HOMEWORK- Challenge to understand

1. Create STEEP analysis: Do some careful research to identify top trends that may impact your business. Use the two-by-two framework below to map these out and then zero in on the trends that will have the highest potential impact on your business idea/product/service.
2. Identify landscape of players: Using your library research and what you’ve learned about your industry (see Hitting the Library), fill in this Landscape of Players worksheet, listing the potential players in your industry
3. Discover Target customers: Now that you’ve got a better understanding of your market, you now need to think about who you want to reach with your business. Use the worksheet below to brainstorm customer groups and then select the one you want to know more about and give reasons for that choice

Industry according to government site: Health and social assistance, under other and family services

Module 4:

• 2 types of qualitative research that are really useful for this:

1. Observational: It’s a qualitative research method of collecting and analyzing information that you get by directly or indirectly watching and observing others in natural or planned environments.

DO & include in the questionnaire: Figure out the kinds of places where your target customers would interact, buy, or use a product or service that’s similar to yours

THERE ARE 7 OBSERVATION GUIDELINES TO HELP TO KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR! ( Refer to the doc you downloaded)

2) Research/Shadowing and Ethnographic interviews.

• Ethnography is the study of people, and ethnographic research comes from anthropology. It’s about trying to understand someone from their own point of view. It’s an opportunity to both hear their own perspective and to put yourself in their shoes. It’s also a great way to get ideas about how best to shape your business for your target customer.
• What you think people need is not always what they need – it’s not always obvious, because people are multidimensional. Talking to people and listening to their stories can help you figure out what’s missing for them and how your product or service might meet that need.
• People can also only talk about what they know exists today, so it’s your responsibility to dig deeper and try to understand what’s behind what they say.

What’s Missing? Look for Unmet Needs
SOCIAL: What does the customer need from relationships with the people around them?
Example: I need the confidence of my family (as I explore new job opportunities).
PHYSICAL: What does the customer need on a functional and practical level?
Example: I need reliable transportation to get my kids to their various activities, or I need a stylish solution to the problem of too many bags to carry to work in the morning.

EMOTIONAL:What does the customer need emotionally? This is very close to social. The difference is that it comes from within, not from the people around them.
Example: I need to feel in control in a world that is often chaotic.

COMMUNICATION: What information or knowledge does the customer need? This is anything to do with information or messaging.
Example: I need clear signs to help me navigate through different areas in a big hospital OR need a resource that will give me all the information I need to help me decide which cell phone is the right one for me.

How do you conduct an ethnographic interview? – Try to think of it as a conversation more than an interview.

DO – Ask open questions like:

• “tell me more about…”
• “tell me your stories about…”
• “why…

DON’T -Avoid asking “directed” questions like:

• “Was your father important in your life?” Rather say: “Tell me about your father.”
• Instead of “Was the sauce too spicy?”, ask “Why do you say you didn’t like the sauce?”.

Some potential questions YOU could ask might be: ( CHANGE IT UP TO YOUR TOPIC. REMEMBER WHOLISTIC QUESTIONS)

• Tell me more about how you plan your meals.
• What’s a typical visit to the grocery store like for you?
• Tell me the best and the worst stories about feeding your baby.
• What’s your tidying up and washing up routine?
• Have you ever interacted with a company about their baby products? What was that like?

Conduct a Needs Analysis
WHAT: Defining the needs of the customer by distilling or narrowing down the data and insights from your primary research

IMPORTANCE: Customers don’t value products and services that don’t fulfill their needs. By understanding various kinds of needs, you can find ways to set your business apart from your competitors.

HOW: 

1. Review your notes from your interviews and field observations, and write down insights (things that reveal the customer’s pains, wants, beliefs, values, habits, etc.). Consider any deeper motivations that may exist behind what people say or do on the surface. It’s helpful to write each new insight on a separate sticky note.

• Look at book notes as well
• previous notes from phone and in the drive of ideas and why
• Look through facebook groups, and see post related to your service and what people comment on

2. Write it on a sticky note

3. Put all sticky notes on a large board

4. Group notes according to patterns and themes

5. Summarize key needs of your customer/ Putting common themes into a sentence or two to describe the key needs. Use these categories:

• SOCIAL NEED – What does the customer need from relationships with the people around them?
• PHYSICAL NEED – What does the customer need on a functional and practical level?
• EMOTIONAL NEED – What does the customer need emotionally?
• COMMUNICATION NEED – What information or knowledge does the customer need?
• Spiritual too

THIS framework WILL organize the insights that you got from your customer stories will reveal gaps in what people need and in what is currently available to them.

NEXT: Create a persona

• A persona is an imaginary character that represents your target customer group. Think of it as a profile of your ideal customer or client.

Personas help you think about your customer’s perspective throughout the development process of your business, and they help you remember your customer at all times.

As an added bonus, personas are great tools for you to use to explain your business and your target customers to potential investors, lenders, or even partners.

HOMEWORK:

1. Your ideal client (keu)

2. Based on the information given from the research

___________________________________

Module 5

Go through everything module 5 and up, important stuff to consider

Q. What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

A. I think the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have is a mindset that is not afraid of change or challenges but realizes that that type of mindset helps you to grow to become a better person, and ultimately a better  boss for your business.

Feb 8, 2021- Excited that I’m taking this step! One step closer to becoming a billionaire and living my dreams. Philanthropist, Motivational Speaker, World Traveler, Mentor, Living Life to the fullest, Leaving a Legacy of Love for my family.

April 29, 2021- Got a business partner today!!! I’m so excited for where we will go on this journey! My good friend Felix, I am excited for what we will create together.

May 31, 2021- Most Important Mindset of an Entrepreneur?

• Go-getter, Risk taker, Never Quit Attitude, Curious, Open-minded, Patient, Resourceful, Willing to put in the work and the hours. Has an idea of what they want to do and where they want to go.

Dec. 2, 2021

Felix and I came up with a name for our project together, it is called Colorblind (an alternative way to look at the world). Dec. 2 was also the first day that we started filming together. I quite enjoyed it though Felix thought it was trash. Not gonna lie, when I look back in 10 years I’ll probably think the same things but for now, on the adrenaline of actually taking action. I’m excited and impressed with my ability to get something from idea in to actual action.

On my own personal journey, I’ve also come up with a name for my company around May sometime this year. It’s called Actions That Impact. The focus is still quite broad but it is about taking action on the dreams and ideas that one has.

-Creating programs for people to implement

-Life Coaching (mindset, personal development, etc.)

– Taking Actions on Ideas

Jan 24/22

Did some networking today, talked with Kathleen Gon who is a web developer with 3 year of entrepreneurship experience (jewlery) and started a small tent company (In tents events {check FB}). It was nice to reach out and inquire a bit more about what she does and talk about my plans of action and staying connected.

My idea is to develop an ADHD specific planner

• Most planners profit off “hustle culture” and have undertones that “shame” most neurodivergent folx
• To create a planner that is ADHD friendly, BIPOC inspired
• To include worksheets and exercises containing scientific principles (therapy, mindfulness, processing emotions)
• emotion regulation techniques
• reward-based system integrated

Indoor golf simulators with social club and gym ( 6 months)

Multi sport camp (6-7 weeks)

Entrepreneur Mind Set:

• organized
• proactive
• cautious
• risk-taker

You are:

• ready to be wrong
• ready to learn more
• willing to keep an open mind
• comfortable with uncertainty
• not worried about getting it right the first time (beginners mindset)

As an Entrepreneur I:

• am responsible for all decisions
• hold both short and long-term visions at the same time
• am comfortable being uncomfortable
• am continuously learning
• listen to and trust numbers
• love my business
• enjoy breaking rules
• don’t work a 9-5, but MORE
• am STARTING NOW

 
Research
Post a survey to Girl Gang + IG + reddit??
Hi GG, I am trying to get a bit of insight on my tm prior to launching my sustainable fashion business and am hoping to have some of you complete this survey for me.

please only fill out this survey if you meet at least one of the following criteria:

A) you would consider yourself a green consumer (prefer to shop from sustainable/ethical brands)

B) you are interested in shopping sustainable/ethical but don’t currently do so

C) you shop at one of the following retailers:

• Made Trade
• Everlane
• We Dash Love
• The Little Market
• Pildora
• Done Good
• Accompany

D) you prefer to shop local when possible

E) you are unlikely to prioritize sustainability when shopping for apparel but like the style of the garments shown below (**only maybe**)
survey contents

• demo information (age, gender, income range, + other demos available in FB and Google segmenting)
• do you like these garments? +what would you pay (*note it is thrifted, and hand embroidered, all materials used in packaging, shipping, and branding are sustainable)
• which of the following interests do you have? (select all that apply) – list of interest available in FB and Google segmenting

Ideas:

Early Bird Cantina – Breakfast taco restaurant

Uber but for delivering weed

Through the creation of visually and psychologically engaging media, I seek to explore our place in society in compelling and truthful ways. By navigating the realities, frailties, and ironies of the human condition, I strive to tell stories that are majorly character-driven, and explore complex moral concepts & dilemmas affecting both widespread and niche populations. And being proudly Canadian, my filmmaking explores our national identity through snapshots of our culture’s music, people, and scenery.

Side Gigs: Live event consultation, Crew and Talent directory, Creative Partnership, Pop-up viewing spaces, Community Film & Arts blog,  Projections

Similar logo concepts:  Lighthouse pictures, badrobot pictures

Need: computer, camera, education

Want: Staff, advertisements, movie funding

not giving up

not afraid to be the first

believing in change

not settling with “just ok”

persistency

ability to look from another perspective

discipline – showing up every day again and again

creative solutions to old problems

enthusiasm

BUSY BETTY:

an app that rates all food products from stores, recommending the best ones regarding the customer’s star rating or preference setting or following by popularity at folks of similar lifestyle

instant babysitting and chores services –  app with trustworthy real reviews and short video introductions, background check and past experiences of at least 2 years in babysitting – comes to the house in 1 h from customer pressing the button (babysitting emergencies)

healthy food delivery of ready meals and produce to the door from foodsafety approved kitchens and great local farmers according to a dietary preference list and favourite cuisines of each member of the family (family meal with different meals for each)

customer map for HOLIDAY JENNA

FERRY TICKET = FREE BEVERAGE ON US

PICNIC BOX for 2/4 – sandwichy lunch, salad, dip, crackers, seasonal fruit, treat

PIZZA/CAKE DELIVERY TO BOAT

EASY CAKE PICK: choose preference map (chocolate – creamy or fudgy –

loyalty for locals? + local discounts on Wednesdays?

dog friendly – dog treats + dog bowls (bone shape cookie?!)

floating bakery – cake slice shaped arrows on the coast

floating bakery – neon sign – tie up for a snack afloat – floathouse concert on the roof?! movie projector + screenings on water

the oracle – a ferry line circus food cart with fortune bread?

chocolate box – tasting with coffee beverages

advertising campaign for the local area boaters, get featured in local food mag for BC?

popup dinners w. movie (food matching the movie, or from the movie)

specials on certain days (like donut Monday)

posters & map in the marina how to find us w. an updated menu for the month?

Your Own Experience

• Strengths: organization, random skills (programs), scientific development background, technical ability, creative writing
• Interest: prototyping and iteration, education, building my “web”
• Business interest: hands off approach! What kind of business can eventually “run itself”
• Business idea: home-based aquaponic/hydroponic system that is connected to an app on your phone

5-3 Ideas

1. dishes that are stylish, not breakable and easy to feed your baby
2. bibs with a disposable and interchangeable face to get rid of quick messes easily
3. spoons that make noises so the baby eats like its playing
4. app to keep track of micro/macros of baby dependng on the food they eat, suggests other complementary products
5. highchair cover that is removable and machine washable for VERY easy cleanup

7-3 branding

• Nike swish: just do it. Evokes movement
• apple: clean, simple, minimal
• dyson: helvetica test. stylish, modern, simple

My business ideas:

– sustainable fashion focused on:

• materiality
• local production
• aesthetics

– women’s bamboo underwear

– lingerie

– loungewear

– dresses & skirts

My strengths:

• building connections
• customer service
• branding
• graphic design
• fine art
• fashion design
• web design

What is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• the ability/desire to never give up
• impact-focused
• people-driven
• resourcefulness
• adaptability to change, and ability to quickly pivot
• strategy
• self confidence & belief
• constantly evaluating what is and isn’t working
• a growth mindset
• fearlessness to try new things
• purpose and clarity

Statistics Sources:

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210217/dq210217b-eng.htm

Busy Betty:

Affordable household services to take care of chores and meals

HelloFresh for baby food (home delivery service of ingredients to make baby food at home with complete nutrients)

A “mom coach” (a lifecoach who can help Betty with lifestyle tips and time management)

A baby food/nutrition cookbook/blog

Who is my target customer? Nature-loving women aged 20-40

What business are you in? Sustainable fashion (underwear specifically)

What benefit does your product bring  to the customer? Comfortable underwear made with sustainable bamboo fabric and exclusive designs

What is your competitive advantage? More comfortable, stylish, unique and fun, designed for women by women.

For nature-loving women, My Higher Frequency is the sustainable underwear line that provides comfortable underwear made with bamboo fabric and the most stylish, exclusive designs designed for women by women.

Where do I want my business to be in 5-10 years?

• Revenue of 10 million
• Team of: 1 technical designer, 2 assistant designers, 1 brand manager, 1 accountant, 1 sales/marketing manager, 3-5 customer supports, 1 communications manager
• Selling DTC online, and in Simon’s, Aritzia, Anthropologie, and in 100 small boutiques across Canada
• Expanded offerings in athletic wear, loungewear, dancewear, ravewear, and “everyday fantasy”

How will your business be known? How do you want people to think about your company?

• I want our brand to be featured in Vogue
• I want our business to be known as THE BEST and most sustainable woman’s underwear
• I want our commit to ethics and the environment to be widely known and associated with the brand
• I want people to be obsessed with our designs!

Branding examples:

Starbucks: Mermaid logo, same feel and ambience across cafes, iconic green straws, recognizable cups and reusable tumblers, feels luxurious to purchase a beverage there, overpriced food to enhance the idea of it being high-end, very friendly customer service

Nike: swoosh logo, sleek design, innovative

Anthropologie: Stores feel like a treasure hunt, items inspired by world cultures, feels like an exciting adventure and experience

Do you save money on a regular basis?

Yes, I actively put away 10% of any income I receive into a savings account

What is your process for putting savings away?

When I receive income, 10% of it I will transfer manually into a savings account

Why is it important to save?

It’s important to have money to cover unexpected expenses, to have the ability to invest in your future, and to know you have money to feel abundant and secure

What I’ve spent money on in the last 2 weeks:

• Groceries -> NEED
• Debt repayments -> NEED
• Yoga Classes -> WANT
• Donut -> WANT

Grow Well Competitors Vs. Partnerships

• Partnerships -> online ecperts, bloggers, publication, non-profits, health organizations -> could provide GrowWell with PR
• Retailers could also be partnerships -> could sell products at Loblaws, Whole Foods, etc.
• Healthcare experts could also be partners -> could connect clients with the product, give recommendations, etc.

Electric skateboard¢

What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing?

strengths: creative, motivated, studious

interests: hands on work, creative endeavors, crafting, organizing

intriguing businesses: selling rpg dice, selling custom designed rpg dice, selling handmade goods and crafts

An entrepreneur should be creative

Always looking for a way to expand

My interest:

• Environmentalism
• Feminism
• Playing music
• Biology
• reading
• tutoring

Possible ideas:

• Building a team of tutors to tutor elementary kids
• Inventing something useful
• A solution to water pollution using biological or chemical science
• Jewelry making/ keychains
• Hygiene products

-“counselling camp”: camping trip for individuals who have faced mental health and addiction challenges to have their social, psychological, spiritual and physical needs met. Implementing some dbt/cbt skills workshops throughout the week and peer support of what has or has not worked for them

–

Entrepreneur’s mindset:
-open to change
-resourceful
-driven
-passionate
-comfortable taking risks
-open for feedback
-comfortable saying no and getting no’s

Some business ideas:

• selling my calligraphy or designs in various forms
• become a stationer?

(2.4) Most important mindset of an entrepreneur:

• Passionate
• Inventive
• Adaptable
• Flexible
• Willing to be wrong
• Focused on the needs of the consumer
• Creative
• Detail-oriented

(5.3) Ideas for Busy Betty

• A children’s food recipe book catered to dads to encourage her husband to help?
• Minimal ingredients
• Online cooking lessons/resources
• Multi stage food for babies up to toddlers
• Ready to eat food and snacks so young kids (toddlers+) can help prepare 
• Promotions with/availability at recreational centres 
• Sponsoring after-school programs

(10.5) Partners + Competitors

< Partners | Competitors >

• Regular baby food manufacturers: 
• e.g., Gerber, Heinz Baby, Nestle, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Numico, Danone, etc.
• Organic baby food manufacturers: 
• e.g., Tastybaby, Earth’s Best, Plum Organics, etc.
• Healthcare Experts: e.g., nutritionists, pediatricians
• Other Product Providers: Organic grocers, e.g., Whole Foods, Loblaws
• Retailers: e.g., Babies R Us, baby tableware manufacturers, baby toy manufacturers
• Media and Information: e.g., online experts, bloggers, publications, non-profits, health organizations

(12.5) GST/HST

I would definitely not want to advertise making under $30,000 especially since my industry is a larger focus on content and insights over actual sales. I am likely going to register before I reach that milestone only because the digital media industry is a quick-expanding industry that can make $100 one day and $5000 the next so I risk reaching that $30k without noticing. I would rather be safe than sorry.

(12.9)

1. Garden Variety Media
2. Sole Proprietorship

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• curious
• dedicated
• risk = reward
• open to feedback
• open to new ideas
• independent?
• passionate
• embrace change
• ready to be wrong
• ready to learn more
• willing to keep an open mind
• comfortable with uncertainty/ambiguity
• Not worried about trying to get it perfect the first time. This is what’s known as the beginner’s mindset.

What does it mean to be an entrepreneur, not an employee?

• you’re responsible for all decisions
• you need to look at short and long term goals at the same time
• feeling uncomfortable is your new comfort zone
• numbers don’t lie (need to know budget)
• continuously learn (new technologies, marketing strategies, etc.; what needs to be done, gets done)
• enjoy breaking rules (no status quo)
• love your business (don’t treat yourself like an employee in your own business)
• your time isn’t linear (always will be thinking about your business)
• start now

Do I need to shift my mindset to become an entrepreneur?

• dedication: to learning new things (marketing, photography skills, investing in camera gear)
• Time: spend more time on my business planning and learning
• Learn to budget
• Plan long and short term goals

3 Gear Model:

• Deep empathy and understanding

What Is The Most Important Mindset An Entrepreneur Should Have?

• willing to address inequalities in business and in life
• need to make business a safe space
• savings focused mindset (take risks but not too many, at least not all at once)
• a focus on learning to adapt/ overcome

step 1 find 5 potential users of my product

im a serial entrepeneur who has been doing art for 15 years. i have support from friends and family and have a large client base.

you’re ready to learn new things. 

you’re willing to make mistakes.
you’re willing to do things differently.
you must be open to new ideas.
you’re willing to change your mindset.

My Customers:

Drag queens

Brides

Cosplayers

Chemotherapy patients

Women ages 13-90

Men ages 30-60

Performers

Social Media Influencers

Models

Growell Business Ideas

• Create a baby food weekly food box to be delivered w/ note describing all the ingredients so she can rest assured they’re made fresh
• Provide a baby spoon with each delivery
• Make a website where she can select each baby food based on the ingredients and age of the child
• Make the packaging like a bowl so it can be fed easily to the child from the container

Photography Store

• Passports
• Portfolios
• Family
• Weddings
• Special occasions with props
• Place for friends to come hang out and take pictures based on themes.
• Able to rent my selfie pics for occasions/events
• Run photography workshops

-Green products!

-Helping clean garbage in the city, I would love to incorporate that into the business, even if it’s just one day a month I have a team go clean a certain area of the city, maybe even make it a charity event.

• Where/what do you hope your business to be 5 to 10 years from now?
  I want my business to be the go to cleaning service in the Windsor Essex community. I also want to be able to help clean up the streets of the community and do fundraisers to help causes such as the Surfrider Foundation, Oceana and The Ocean Cleanup
• How will your business be known? How do you want people to think about your company?
  The business will be know by word of mouth, social media and local advertisments, as well as the aspect of fundraisers and charity events. I want people to look up to the company and the steps we want to take to make the Earth a healthier place to live.

Buisness ideas

Idea 1: Online store selling African art

2: online store selling green energy power generators

3. Online store selling North American Indiginous art

Basic Business Plan:

To buy and sell second hand baby and children clothing and toys.

Purchasing products from the community (they bring it in, I offer a set price if quality is good, and give them cash). I then re-sell these products at a higher rate (but still much lower than “brand new prices” which will gain us our revenue.

Challenging your most risky assumption: That of which being the thing that if it isn’t validated, the company won’t be successful:

1. Our riskiest Assumption: Young professionals and entrepreneurs will buy  entrepreneur trading cards as alternative investments.
2. Will they?
3. Interview 25 downtown to find out
4. Identify next riskiest assumption based on information gathered from them.

1.Interviews:

       Dean Chambers(Checks over             Strikes)-31 Oct 2021

     1. What problem do you think we       are solving?

      2. What would make you buy a         card from us?

     3. How viable do you think                  Slapdown Cards is, as a                      business?

  1.Bringing awareness to black              entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs      in general. Providing a potential        alternative investment.

 2.  The way we brand it and market         it.  AKA the perceived value.

   3. At first wasn’t too sold on it; but         as   he keeps thinking about it,           more ideas come to mind. Just         like Elon Musk said, I wanna drive     electric cars, and everyone said         no  you can’t, but he made it              happen. Furthermore,                          entrepreneurs are becoming like        athletes and musicians. Why not        have the same thing for                     entrepreneurs(Trading cards)?

Marisol Fornoni (RISE)- Nov 2021

Questions:
1. How viable do you think this is, as a business?

2. How do you currently invest your money, if at all?

3. Do you think this is a need in the marketplace(high value alternative investments, with low costs of entry)?

4. What type of “education” on our product, and social proof would entice you to buy a card from us?

1.  I am unsure. I am not familiar with trading cards so I am not clearly understanding the offering.

2. I invest in mutual bonds.

3. I think people are ALWAYS looking for alternative investments. Perhaps there is an educational piece to your product that is required so that you can catch people like me up to speed.

4.  I would need to know more about trading cards in general. I would need to see traction and I would need to some type of re-assurance if I am going to invest in a product that new like this.

Tawande Chirenda (RISE)- Nov 2021

1. What problem do you think we are solving?

2. What would make you buy a card from us?

3. How viable do you think Slapdown Cards is, as a business?

1. Leveraging what’s being done in sports marketing to help simplify entrepreneurship for entrepreneurs. Not clear on the pain point.

2. The possibility to reach more people with the product. The human aspect, to humanize and simplify entrepreneurship; make it real for everyday people with the product. To educate the fans for what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

3. Viable: Great starting point, needs a business plan as the map.

1. What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• The most important mindset is the willingness to learn from those who’ve been in your position before, and are in the position you aspire to be in. This helps you immerse yourself in the issues you are currently facing, and see the solutions with clarity.

2.Write your goal down

• My Goal is to run  a Billion Dollar Organization:
• Step 1) Get organized
• Step 2) Immerse into valuable mentorship relationship(s)
• Step 3) Complete Business Plan
• Step 4) Solidify Pitch
• Step 5) Win Dig Pitch Competition
• Step 6) Take it one step further by taking full advantage of additional mentorship with Dig and Lundin Mining, as well as from Checks over Strikes and RISE
• Step 7) Get full pipeline of Entrepreneurs to “grace the faces of our cards”
• Step 8) Sell the heck out of our Cards
• Step 9) Operate or Sell the company to a larger competitor

3. The Engine for Design thinking:

• Empathy and holistic visualization, intuition
• This type of thinking is intuitive in that it’s a CREATIVE PROCESS

4. What’s the STEEP (Society, technology, economic, environmental, political) Analysis?

• It’s a way to help you identify and define relevant trends in your industry
• It helps us identify gaps in the marketplace and stay prepared for changes in the same
• How to;
• – Research and gather qualitative (stories) and quantitative(figures and stats) data
• -Then, choose the trends evident in your research to hone in on
• -Analyze them of those trends (the ones highly likely to happen)

Some other ideas for how we can best serve Betty;

1. An app with gourmet recipes from around the world, suitable to be made into baby food
2. Musical playlists suitable for listening by baby and parents, to give the full luxury learning experience of gourmet feeding.

How might we help Sports Fan Brent Conveniently invest his money?

Who/what does this well and how?

• Topps
• Panini
• Fleer
• Upper Deck
• Topshot
• Press Pass
• Tristar
• Leaf
• Sage
• In the Game
• Investment banks
• Mutual fund companies
• Retail securities brokers
• Real estate trusts
• “Vague” NFT’s

How might we do something like that?

• By utilizing the digital pivot towards NFT’s
• By employing a robust influencer marketing strategy
• By occupying major publications
• By selling other merchandise to become a one stop shop for all things corporate spirit
• By taking all processes in house, creating an antitrust resistant monopoly
• By appealing to kids by selling cards with products marketed to children such as candy and toys
• By acting as a stock market, constantly updating stats and biographical data
• By branding ourselves as the safe investment of diversification
• By providing a better NFT experience.

What I’ve spent money on in the last 2 weeks:

1. Fast food(multiple times)[want]

2. Versace ring[want]

3. Kickstarter campaign (today)[need]

4. Gift for my younger sister[want]

5. Loan to my younger sister [need]

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?
I think that the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have is to be positive and motivated. This is important because if you’re not motivated your business will not go very far. Its important to stay positive because not everything will go my way. There will be ups and downs but its important to just stay on track and to not give up.

40 per hour

25 per room

100 – 170 flat fee

LABOR: multiply your hourly rate by the number of workers on the job. Add 18% payroll

OVERHEAD: Taxes, fuel, cleaning insurance, supplies, advertising, other business expenses.

I think the most important mindset for an entrepreneur to have is a growth mindset.

1.4 Notes

• Sustainable streetwear brand
• Ardent (passion & enthusiasm)
• Screen print to manufacture
• My own artwork and designs
• Promote “walking your own path”
• Showcase social and environmental issues within our society

2.4 Notes – Entrepreneur Mindset

• Perseverance
• Adaptability
• Creativity
• You have to want it

Rest of my notes are hand written.

Meemi Dreamers

Sole Proprietorship

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

The most important mindset an entrepreneur should have is that they are in charge and they are responsible for their actions. They are responsible for identifying problems and having solutions for them.

i am interested in versatility and being able to work from anywhere

some of my skills are guitar playing a languages

my business idea would involve helping people to improve

or as another idea it would take me some time to observe the differences between canada and colombia and think of something that is in need in colombia

i believe that the most important entrepreneur mindset is the ability to adapt and identify needs within their community. they must be observant of any changes needed as well as to know what void are they trying to fill. to who and why?

My business idea is Living Ideas.

The most important mind set is: – believing in your business idea,  everything is possible, positive outlook,  not being afraid to fail or afraid to work hard.

It’s really important to remind yourself that becoming an entrepreneur is a process. Set realistic expectations for yourself, and remind yourself that you don’t have to get it right the first time. Many of the most successful people and businesses have failed at first.

[modula id=”undefined”]I want to start an event planning business, offering assistance in events such as weddings, engagement parties, bridal showers, stag and doe/ jack and jill, bachelor/bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, receptions, post wedding brunches, birthday parties (for all ages), anniversary parties, housewarming parties, reunions, baby showers, bar/bat mitzvah’s, graduations, dinner parties etc. 
Every entrepreneur is unique and no path to success is the same, but all successful entrepreneurs share a specific skillset that allows them to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and thrive in their respective fields. Some of those skills include: Ability to confront self-doubt, Accountability, Resilience, and Willingness to Experiment

Urgent tasks are the ones that you have to pay immediate attention to. Important tasks are the ones that contribute to your goals, your mission, and your values.

Quality time focuses on planning, building relationships, recognizing new opportunities, and many other things that are very important for entrepreneurs.

Industry research is important to find out who you would be competing against, what types of services they offer so you can go above and beyond to succeed, a general idea of what they charge so you can do better for your clients.

The 7 Rules of Observational Research: 1. Look for the ordinary, not extraordinary 2. Nothing people do appears natural 3. Be the master of the obvious 4. Don’t fear the details 5. Think about the whole activity 6. Let the arrow find the target 7. Combine observations with qualitative research

Strengths – organized, self-motivated, strong writer, driven, enjoys research, has many connections

Interested in having my own business that builds off my mental health blog. I want to educate health/medical professionals on dealing with people with eating disorders and also create a sense of community for people going through recovery

Interested in service-based businesses. Ex, my friend runs a business teaching self care to organizations and also does 1:1 coaching and workshops.

Important to be flexible, have growth mindset, be able to push boundaries and be uncomfortable

1.4 2022/02/05

What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing?

• organized and coordination, idea generating, some knowledge about startups, 1st personal self dev exp, general understanding of many industries
• passionate about personal growth and self-actualization, creating a better world, sustainability and justice
• ethical and sustainable businesses, giants who rise above/unicorns (which is the opposite of ethical lol), tech, travel and remote, global

The idea: I’m hoping to bring together the self-development journey from start to forever, allowing for a cohesive experience and single hub for all resources pertaining to mental health and personal growth. This is to create a foundation for overall wellness that will lead to feeling purpose and fulfillment in all aspects of life, from relationships to careers to liking oneself. I’m seeing it as a full-suite organization that offers a systematic-ish yet customizable approach to seeing real progress in personal growth and living a fulfilling life.

***how do websites become businesses? how do small businesses stay afloat?

2.4 what do you think are the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

resilience, hard working, dedication, growth/learn what needs to be learned, focus (don’t distract on the non-immediate or relevant things), action-based (iterate fast), open-minded, innovative, problem-solving

Added from the program info: ready to be wrong, comfortable with uncertainty/ambiguity, not worried about getting things right on the first try

***how to become comfortable with ambiguity and getting over perfectionism? what’s a mantra or quote that could be helpful?

3.8 NAICS:

624190 – Other individual and family services

611710 – Educational support services

maybe 54xxxx professional services or 81xxxx other services

9.5 Financial Goals

My financial goal medium-term is investing in my business to get it running smoothly.

My financial goal long-term is moving out on my own. It’s long-term because Toronto is expensive and I might want to move to another country instead.

I save most of my money and any variable spending is how much I eat out, usually.

I believe in a world where robots carry out all the manual labor for humans. People deserve to spend more time in creative thought. Therefore I believe that I could start a business that makes robots that carry out home tasks such as cooking, laundry and any other manual labor. As the business grows I hope to expand to making robots that will replace human workers in industries and in retail stores.

02/10/2022 – Let’s see if I can do this. I would like to run a business that provides research and consulting services in the mental healthcare and social service sector. Ideally this would be scalable to include addition consultants and analysts in the future. However I feel I have a long way to go before marketing myself as the principal consultant of a firm. I need more experience in my industry first.

02/17/2022 – What do I think is the most important mindset of an entrepreneur? I would say resilience mixed with a bit of drinking from one’s own kool aid/passion. As well as having tact and general wherewithal to know what you are doing or if you don’t, being able to learn what you need to do rather quickly.

Feb 10th 2022

1. Introductions

What Info from the lessons do they want with our business plan?

I think an entrepreneur should be a difference-maker. They see an opportunity, or have a vision for a product/service that they can create or provide.

I think the entrepreneurial spirit comes from having a strong drive, a will to succeed and confidence in oneself. I don’t think there is any standard, one-size-fits-all description of an entrepreneur. That said, I expect more entrepreneurs would have these characteristics than not.

In terms of mindset, I will list some things I think would be included in the mindset of a good entrepreneur:

-Confidence

-Self-belief

-Inquisitive nature (Asking “why?”, wanting to know if there’s a better way to do things)

-Drive to succeed

-Adaptability, ability to change on the fly

-The assertiveness to go out there and pitch your idea/sell yourself

-The ability to make people believe in/trust you. Rapport building is key!

Busy Betty could be helped by GrowWell in a few different ways:

-Can save her time, the brand alleviates the need for time spent on research for nutritious/organic food

-Allows time for classes to learn how to make nutritious toddler food on your own schedule

I dislike using this function as it’s just one long page of notes, however currently I’m working on my positioning statement

The parent company will be called Excluse, but I may have a divisional name for the tank top startup.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

Open minded, embrace failures and changes, ambitious, willing to learn ALWAYS, Creative, authentic , positive , determined

Strengths:

Interested in:

Biz ideas:

Shenelle’s workbook

Ideas to improve: Lesson 5

1. Social Media Tips + Tricks
2. Mom Support Groups
3. Social Media Cooking Shows
4. Subscription Packages
5. Reusable Packaging

Time management quadrant

• Urgency and importance

An entrepreneur should know their plan and what they are about to do. They have to understand how difficulties they will have in this way and they should know that being and entrepreneur means taking risk and going further as much as you can.

Industry research help us to know more about what we are about to do. We can find out who will be with us and who will be against us in this industry. (it means competition )

A goal is something that we want it and we make plans to reach it out. And as an entrepreneur we need to have goals and plans for reaching it. In this way we can be successful and we can make a good schedule for us and reach what we want.

Busy Betty Example Grow-well biz plan:

Busy Betty could benefit from to-go food snack for in the car, at school, at extra curriculars, etc. Could also make special lunch box containers for elementary students that work with different snacks that we produce

A goal is a breakdown of what you’re trying to achieve. It’s important to set SMART goals

Looking to start a digital art business. My goal is to provide a range of art/ graphic design options for Content Creators from affordable pay to use emotes for streamers to custom YouTube thumbnail designs. In addtion I want to educate Content Creators about the art side of content creation. Some sample topics include:

• Art Copyright
• How to commission artists
• How to avoid art scams
• Where to find art tools and resources for creators who can’t afford to get custom art done.

Some of my strengths include:

• Digital Media Marketing
• Drawing/ Creative
• Honest and Empathtic
• Curious
• Public
• Patince
• Euthisastic
• Detailed Orianted

The reason behind why I want to start a business is because I want to pursue a cretive career that I enjoy and share my knowledge and experince. In additon I want to start a business to be my own boss and not worry about my ADHD and Autsim negatively impacting my career advancement or jepordising my job security.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

I think the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have should be resourceful one. This is because running a business has highs and lows, therefore the need to be resourcful is important. You need to know when to pick your battles, when/ what to save as well as when to invest and where in your business in order for it to continue to not only survive but thrive.

eqoroeeiui

Warda is a poet, puppeteer and producer, living in Toronto. Born in Djibouti and raised in the UK. A recipient of the David Maltby Award in 2019 for her photography exhibition Roots, and of a Toronto Refugee Mentorship Grant, to help develop her first feature film, People from Nowhere in (2019). Her practice is engaged with themes of home, displacement, the body and sexual health. She founded @HouseofArtsTo in 2021 and has been giving emerging artists of all mediums/practises: a stage, a home, and a community of supporters. She will be organizing a Black Excellence festival this summer in TO.

Business Idea: LemonBirds Creations
– Collection of artists
– Majorly online with market days
– Summer stall in the Byward market
– A fairer version of shops like ‘etsy’
– 3 directors?
– eventual non-profit animal rescue
– quality of life improvement community services
– 

2.4 An Entrepreneur should have a goal oriented but flexible mindset, things are going to come up and go wrong and you need to be able to work around those issues and not be deterred by taking a different path

Selling goods for clinics, hospitals, etc.

“It’s helpful to think about your own experiences and background. What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing? Take some time to think about what you bring to your entrepreneurship trek!

Do you already have an idea for your business? It doesn’t matter if it’s not a “perfect” business idea yet; you’ll be developing this as you move through the course. Write down what immediately comes to mind for you as a business idea, without worrying whether it’s the “right” idea.”
 

My immediate thought is a Hair Braiding business!

Strengths:

-I’m good at braiding and learning new styles quickly

-I enjoy the way I feel after a fresh braid up so I want to be the reason people are happy with their hair style.

-The only one willing to braid hair in Peterborough, Ontario semi-Fulltime

-Determination to make it happen!

My journey

Business Idea:

• To build an enrichment, sport, training, event center that allows for learning, and experiences that factor in the whole dog/animal and it’s well being and fosters the human animal bond.
• Using science based methods, and concepts we will provide services that meet the needs of  the full spectrum of dogs and their companions.
• Through education, products and services we will help enrich the lives of pets and their owners too.

2.4 Important Mindset an Entrepreneur Should Have

• self-compassion

My experiences: I have been in the mental health system for youth for at least 4 years. I am a person of colour, I am non-binary and gay, as well as grew up with a sick parent and not a lot of money.

My strengths: I am resilient, artistic, compassionate, have a strong interest in social justice, and have lived experience.

My challenges: Due to mental health, motivation and accountability are hard to achieve. I can’t work long hours due to anxiety. I don’t know anything about businesses.

Ongoing notes

I want to run a professional writing business. 

I trained to be a content marketer at York U. I trained to write for businesses at U of T as well. I have a B.A. in English Literature.

I want to finally be able to make my living by writing. This has been my dream for 13 years.

I also want my business to help change the ease with which former intimate partners can use family court to continue abusing.

Interesting insight really like what I am learning

Aug 25 (at Simon’s)

Feeling so unmotivated to do this course but I know it’s something I’ve been wanting to do. I do see entrepreneurship as a potential right path for me if I commit to it. So I figure why not complete this and get feedback from Grant, then see how I feel about my business idea/plan.

Test

Is it an queer entertainment art culture and design business?
content marketing

Multimedia social adventure?

i want to shift my skills from performance into designed experience, from acting, to leadership. Works that live outside of my body on the web and in various realities, things i can profit off of as extended types of real estate. I need teams, I need clients, i need funding,

designing content for a new mind, i explore adult entertainment modes, the distraction and attention economies, and ways to profit from inject trenducation and infotainment.

1. Secure finances for a hair transplant clinic

2.  Find a newly certified international doctor who is need of a job & to monitor his nurses & technicians perform the hair transplant procedures.

3. Hire staff that fits the clinic’s job criteria.

4. Already have the name of the clinic in mind & a business project written.

5 once the doctor, nurses & technicians on board then hire the receptionist & other staff required for up keep.

6. Renovate to look presentable in timely manner.  Approximately 2 weeks .

7.  Competitive market in canada but what I have in mind will crush the entire Canadian, US & UK market sone our cost will be much cheaper than any other clinic in Canada.

Reflections Lesson 2: Entrepreneur Mindset

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• You’re ready for growth
• You’re ready to accept failure
• You’re ready to do the work
• You’re ready to connect to community
• You’re ready to learn

It’s helpful to think about your own experiences and background. Take some time to think about what you bring to your entrepreneurship trek!

What strengths do you bring to this process?

Based on my previous performance I know that I have the ability to:

• Be creative, and organize my concepts to create amazing ideas.
• organize my ideas into one concept that is easy to understand.
• Be self-motivated, self-regulated, and self-accepting of my ideas and how they flow.
• my time management is good too. I can complete time-sensitive tasks, and perform well under all sorts of pressure situations.
• Stay focused on the target goal, and exceed my own expectations.

What are you interested in?

• Mental health
• Children, teens
• adult empowerment and shattering assumptions
• travel
• technology
• online world
• having fun
• conversations
• helping people
• learning new ways to better improve thought processes.
• fashion
• beauty
• energy healing
• CAM like -yoga, qigong, bagua, sound healing,
• music – creating sharing and listening, sound healing, exotic instrument learning
• books-  reading them and creating them, guides, audiobooks
• Arts & Crafts
• Learning new skills for improved mental and physical well-being. Imagine a Netflix of health.
• Film- watching interesting TV series, creating a children’s cartoon series,
• Interior design – creating beautiful functional spaces that promote healthy mental production.
• Social media – youtube specifically, creating content, ie: “I am right here” targeting teens. pomodoro’s for different guides/routines, ie: studying, getting AM ready, PM night
• writing blogs, short interesting content

What types of businesses do you find intriguing?

• ones that are run effortlessly with freedom
• successful and well-known ones
• impactful businesses that have improved the quality of life we live
• AI technologies and software
• Socially geared online media platforms
• women-owned
• black own
• young CEOs

1. You’re integral to the outcome and desired goal.

2. You’re faithful that your business is valuable and of service to others

3. You’re compassionate with yourself throughout the journey.

4. You’re intentions, attention, attitude, affirmations, and acceptances are mindful.

5. You’re always expressing gratitude for what you have accomplished, received, and seen in the now. And, become appreciative of the future things you want to see actualize by allowing yourself to feel emotion now.

Ceramic studio where kids and adults have a safe place to go. Also, a place where parents can drop off their children if they needed a break for a bit. We would have cameras set up that would be connected to an app that parents would have available to them, so they could keep an eye on their children while they are left at  the studio. After the child leaves, the parents would no longer have access to the cameras in the studio.

MISSION: To improve the quality of our children’s lives. To assist our community with a safe place for parents/guardians to bring their children and are able to take care of their own needs and mental health.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have? The most important mindset an entrepreneur should have is to love what your idea is and to be patient and knowledgeable about the road you are about to take. And don’t give up.

add do it yourself recipes to the product

add nutrients needed for healthy growth

form a new moms online support communiity/network

What do you think is an essential mindset an entrepreneur should have?

First, entrepreneurship is a long-term game. It will require passion, patience, and perseverance in many aspects of personal and professional life.

We (Humans) are our business’s greatest assets. We have to care for our well-being, relationships, and productivity to have continued success. In other words, we are fuel for the machine to run efficiently and effectively.

I am interested in starting a small bookstore, cafe, and events space. The bookstore would specialize in art books, zines, graphic novels, non-fiction, and poetry from small Canadian and international presses. I am interested in creating a quiet, cafe environment where people can come to gather, study, or read a book during the day and into the evening. As a student in Halifax, I noticed that there were few cafe environments open in the evenings. My business would address this gap. Occasionally, we would also host events such as book launches,  poetry readings, live music, and arts workshops.

• Who is your target customer? – Artists, students, adults
• What business are you in? Bookselling, bar/cafe, events
• What benefit does your business bring to your customer? Careful selection of art books; late cafe hours; accessible events
• What makes it better than your competition? Late hours; books you cant find anywhere else in NS; NA options at the bar; late night coffee

GOALS related to vision:

• accessible (online and in-person)
• welcoming
• Canadian, Indigenous and diasporic content
• non-pretentious
• pays artists back for their work (both through consignment and shows)

VISION STATEMENT:

In 5 years, Prensa will be Nova Scotia’s go-to arts bookstore. Our welcoming shop and bar will invite folks to spend time in the space, whether looking for a quiet place to work or meet up with a friend. Our space will be known by local artists and musicians as an events venue that understands their needs and fairly compensates them for their work.

Prensa Books & Bar
Sole proprietorship

wash and fold laundry business

file organization

data analysis

Information on PDFs

It takes a good mindset to be an entrepreneur,

Diligence, determination and patients. Research. Setting and meeting goals. Use of resources.

Input from others to ensure that there is a market for what I am trying to promote and sell. Facts, Figures.

Lesson plan ENTREPANURE MIND SET

I am responsible for ALL decisions URGENCY.

Short and long term visions at the same time

Feeling uncomfortable is the new comfort zone

Learning many new skills/marketing/unfamiliar tech

Numbers don’t lie  Cash flow

Love your business effort and long hours

Enjoy breaking rules, doing things differently.

Time thinking of the business.

Start now

Business Design or Design Thinking the customer is in the Centre

Getting to know your customers.

Meet an unmet need.

3 gears

1. EMPATHY AND DEEP HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
2. CONCEPT VISULIAZATION
3. STRATEGIC BUSINESS DESIGN

1. LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLES NEEDS VERY WELL
2. EXPLORE NEW POSSIBLITIES
3. LISTENING TO CUSTOMERS AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY WANT.

Top 10 ideas: 

1.)Toll free number for lonely people to call and chat for a fee.

2) Toll free number for people to text to another and get a response.

3) Friendship App.  Fill out a form and be connected to someone else who wants to chat about a certain subject. 

4) Phoning a trained listener. Go ahead and vent.

5) Friendship face to face. app.  NON sexual (if it turns sexual the person will be booted off)

6. Resources…talk to someone live, what information do you need?

7) Global Chat – on Gardening and hobbies

8)Movie chat after seeing a movie discussing it.

Rough Business idea

Emotional Clutter – A Brand that sells handmade accessories

I want the brand to represent creativity as harm reduction, I want it to mean something more than just jewelry. Emotional Clutter was named for the emotional clutter that I had and how through creative expression I found relief. I work for 2 non profit organizations that both run art programs for at risk people in the community. One is for youth, and the other is for a harm reduction action league for adults. I am also a person with lived experience, and I spend much of my time advocating these vulnerable members of our society. I don’t know how I could turn my little jewelry brand into something more, but maybe this course can help me do that.

• Incardsarated jail cards
• tailored specifically to CSC and Canada prisons
• piggy back off my own offences
• overwhelmed by process and numbers

Most important mindset entro should have

curious

open mind

growth mindset

resilient

critical thinker

goal orientated

My Business is a mental health peer support Business called connect mental health

• support groups.  all over the city.  M & I are the resource; the product to sell

Business Idea: BagPack

Think about all the jobs you’ve had:
Which ones were positive experiences where you gained a lot?

Elmer’s – good management and positive environment. Team based experience and lot’s of activity. Kept busy regularly.
Axiom (50%) – Sales experience and meeting new people. Attempting to get deals with companies
BCFMA – Something new every day, slight repetition but each case is new and exciting. Changing environment requires adaptability. Team environment where everyone is working together.
UPS – Great management and lot’s of work. Union environment. overlap in job duties.

Which ones were not so good and you wouldn’t want to experience again?

Bodies in Motion – Owners were also managers. Dictatorial and had to follow what they wanted. Strict.
Axiom (50%) – Management wasn’t good (new manager) training was good, but no development. High stress, long hours.
Payline By Ice – Job description didn’t match the work. No room for growth individually or upward mobility. Poor management. President and owner were polite.

Things to remember about these experiences:

Positive experiences: Something new with things to keep busy; team environment; overlap;

Negative experiences: Poor management (helicopter boss); mobility; poor training

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

An entrepreneur shoudl be adaptable, creative, and see opportunity (growth or new ideas). Humility is also a good start and being able to reflect on the idea, thinking that it isn’t a good one and to scrap, change, continue with it at different stages. Also, being able to ask other people questions. This is something I struggle with at times due to anxiety and not wanting to feel like the question I’m asking is stupid. I think a certain level of fun is good also. Not taking it too seriously, but knowing when to take it seriously. Especially when working with your own team or people outside of the circle.

Junk Journaling meets Inner Child
One of my ideas is to creat digital/printable junk journaling ephemera that are hand drawn by me. To look vintage and feel like they belong in the times but with my own ideas of character.

Another idea of future plan is to make financial junk journaling kits of ephemera. That I make draw myself but have the produced by another company.

 
Activity Book for Kids & Adults

Montessori Toys 

We already have idea in mind ,and the name RAD organizers.

– Organized

– focused

– determined

– open minded

Jul 18, 2023

Completed the Idea Generator Course.  I will complete the EnterpRISEing You Course over the summer.  I already have a graphic design business, but I have to get back to learning to make improvements.

Jul 28, 2023

What do I think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• Have ambition and goals to achieve.
• Organized and practical.
• Cautious.
• Clear communication with others.
• Can connect with people.

Aug 14, 2023

The Medici Effect, when a number of talented or productive people from different fields collaborate

Get many ideas as possible, move out of the same chains of association

Keep trying, different experiments, concepts and notes

Techniques

• Look into my eyes, establish connection
• take turns brainstorming
• Copycat
• how do people manage schedule
• find good examples for 1st column, 2nd for applying it to one self
• People and Services
• Objects and devices
• Media and messages
• Places and environments

Organize and prioritize ideas

1. ideas that inspire
2. ideas that could work in a year
3. ideas that could work in future

• how new or different is the idea?
• how well does it meet your customer’s needs?
• how easy is it to implement?

Storyboarding, graphically maps out customer experience on how they hear about the service, how they signed or bought, how they used it and follow-up

How they heard of business: flyers, business cards, social media, etc.

Include customer experience to improve upon services

September 7, 2023

Branding and creating prototypes

Using the Rise to develop business skills

Branding

• advertising, marketing, communications
• visual identity
• product design, packaging
• pricing
• in-store experience
• investors, sponsors, partners
• personality

Prototype

1. pick a main element that is essential to the success of business
2. sketch what my website or package would look like

4 Rules

1. ideas are cheap, testing your ideas and making sure they have economic value
2. starting with a paper design, a mock up on how the design should look, input on easy to read packaging
3. put in just enough work, know objectives, test how realistic the idea is and create demonstration for customer feedback
4. anticipate for multiple options, adapting to meet customer needs, making necessary changes

Business Name: Accounting Loft

Secured the domain and started my website:

www.accountingloft.ca

Business Structure: Sole Proprietorship

Niche or Not To Niche

To offer taxes down the road or not?

Unlocking Potential: The Future University in Egypt’s Promise
Introduction
Future University in Egypt (FUE) has emerged as one of Egypt’s leading private universities since its founding in 2006. Recognized for its commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service, FUE strategically occupies a prime location in the heart of new Cairo. The university prides itself on being an educational institute dedicated to distinction, innovation, and uncompromising quality standards. FUE’s unwavering focus on staying attuned to national, regional, and international changes in education, scientific research, and community development sets it apart, while instilling professional ethics and values among its students.
Embracing Technological Advancements
The Future University in Egypt stands at the forefront of the digital education revolution, embracing technological advancements to enhance the learning experience for students. With cutting-edge laboratories, smart classrooms, and interactive e-learning platforms, students are immersed in a dynamic educational journey. Artificial intelligence and virtual reality simulations allow for hands-on learning experiences, preparing graduates to excel in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Global Collaboration for a Diverse Learning Experience
The Future University in Egypt is more than just a local institution; it fosters a global learning community. Through strategic partnerships with prestigious universities worldwide, the university attracts international faculty and students, creating a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. This exchange of knowledge and perspectives prepares graduates to be global citizens and enables cross-cultural collaboration in tackling global challenges.
Innovation Hub for Groundbreaking Research
At the core of the Future University’s vision lies a commitment to pioneering research and innovation. The establishment of research centers and incubators provides a fertile ground for faculty and students to address real-world challenges. Emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, the university encourages innovative thinking and breakthrough discoveries that have the potential to transform industries and improve lives.
Nurturing Entrepreneurial Mindsets
The Future University in Egypt recognizes the critical role of entrepreneurship in driving economic growth. Integrated entrepreneurship programs, mentorship opportunities, and access to startup incubators empower students to develop their ventures. The university’s emphasis on fostering an entrepreneurial culture instills students with the confidence and skills needed to become job creators and innovators in the competitive business world.
Personalized Learning for Student Success
Understanding that each student is unique, the Future University offers personalized learning pathways. Leveraging data analytics and AI-driven algorithms, students receive tailored educational experiences that align with their individual strengths, interests, and career aspirations. This student-centric approach not only enhances engagement but also ensures that each learner reaches their full potential.
Sustainable Development and Environmental Consciousness
In alignment with global sustainability goals, the Future University in Egypt is committed to promoting environmental consciousness. From green campus initiatives to research projects focused on renewable energy and climate change, the university aims to produce responsible graduates who prioritize sustainability in their future endeavors.
Collaborative Industry Partnerships
The Future University bridges the gap between academia and industry through collaborative partnerships. By engaging with leading corporations and organizations, students gain access to internships, work-study programs, and real-world projects. This symbiotic relationship ensures that graduates are equipped with the practical skills and knowledge demanded by the job market.

The visionary founder of the Future University in Egypt, Khaled Azazy, is a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist with a profound commitment to education. His passion for transforming learning and promoting innovation drives the university’s ethos. Through strategic leadership and tireless efforts, Khaled Azazy has shaped the Future University into a model institution for education in Egypt.
A Bright Future for Education in Egypt
The Future University in Egypt represents a beacon of hope and progress for the nation’s educational landscape. With its focus on technological integration, global collaboration, research, sustainability, and personalized learning, the university is revolutionizing education. As Egypt’s knowledge hub, the Future University is poised to produce forward-thinking leaders who will shape a brighter future for the nation and make a positive impact on the world.
Academic Excellence and Diverse Faculties
At FUE, academic excellence is a priority, with an emphasis on providing a rich and rewarding educational experience to all its students. The university offers a nurturing campus environment where students can unleash their potential and learn from highly talented and accomplished faculty staff. With six fully accredited faculties sanctioned by the Supreme Council of Universities, FUE ensures that students receive the best possible education in their chosen fields.
The faculties include:

1. Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine:

The Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine at Future University in Egypt is an accredited private dental faculty renowned for its comprehensive programs and cutting-edge research. With state-of-the-art dental clinics and laboratories, students receive hands-on training under the guidance of experienced faculty members. Emphasizing the highest standards of patient care and dental expertise, this faculty equips students with the skills and knowledge to excel in the dynamic field of oral healthcare.

1. Faculty of Pharmacy:

Devoted to the art and science of preparing suitable materials from natural resources to create medicines, the Faculty of Pharmacy at Future University in Egypt stands at the forefront of pharmaceutical education. With modern laboratories and advanced research facilities, students explore the pharmaceutical world, gaining expertise in drug development, patient care, and pharmaceutical technology. This faculty plays a vital role in shaping future pharmacists equipped to address society’s healthcare needs.

1. Faculty of Engineering and Technology:

The Faculty of Engineering and Technology at Future University in Egypt is committed to preparing innovative engineers and technologists. With a strong emphasis on hands-on learning, students engage in cutting-edge research and real-world projects across various engineering disciplines. This faculty’s dynamic programs ensure that graduates are well-equipped to tackle complex challenges in engineering, contributing to technological advancements that shape our society.

1. Faculty of Economics and Political Science:

Established in accordance with the latest academic standards, the Faculty of Economics and Political Science offers comprehensive programs that merge theoretical knowledge with practical skills. This faculty prepares students to become proficient economists, policymakers, and analysts, instilling a deep understanding of economic principles and the political landscape. Fostering critical thinking and analytical prowess, graduates are poised to drive positive change in national and international economies.

1. Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration:

Future University’s Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration is devoted to developing business leaders equipped with a global mindset. With a focus on entrepreneurship, management, finance, marketing, and international business, this faculty cultivates the skills needed to excel in a competitive business world. Offering a holistic educational experience, students are prepared to navigate the complexities of the global marketplace and emerge as successful business professionals.

1. Faculty of Computers and Information Technology:

The Faculty of Computers and Information Technology at Future University in Egypt caters to the burgeoning demands of the digital age. Comprising three specialized departments, this faculty imparts cutting-edge knowledge in computer science, information systems, and network engineering. Students receive hands-on training in coding, data analysis, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, positioning them as technology innovators and problem solvers in an increasingly interconnected world.

Each faculty operates as an independent institution with its own property and equipment, actively participating in the selection of students following university regulations. FUE takes immense pride in awarding degrees that hold a global reputation, aligning with its vision for excellence in education.
Exceptional Faculty and Staff
The driving force behind FUE’s academic prowess is its dedicated and diverse faculty and staff. Recognizing that the key to academic excellence lies in fostering a vibrant intellectual community, FUE seeks out highly qualified educators from across the globe. Comprising both local and international talents, many of whom have completed their postgraduate studies abroad, FUE’s faculty brings a wealth of perspectives to their respective fields of specialization.
Founder’s Vision: Khaled Azazy
At the core of FUE’s foundation lies the visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist, Khaled Azazy. His passion for transforming education and promoting innovation has shaped FUE into a model institution in Egypt. Since its inception, Khaled Azazy’s relentless commitment to creating an atmosphere that values intellectual curiosity and academic freedom has been central to the university’s mission.
Academic Partnerships and Global Recognition
FUE’s global outlook extends beyond borders through numerous academic cooperation agreements with distinguished universities worldwide. These agreements facilitate faculty and student exchange programs, mutual accreditation of degrees, and collaborative research projects. Notable partners include the University of Cincinnati, University College Cork (Ireland), Missouri University of Science and Technology (USA), Case Western Reserve University (USA), and The University of Central Lancashire (UK).
Academic Rankings and Impact
FUE’s commitment to academic excellence is reaffirmed by its remarkable global rankings. According to QS World University Rankings, FUE stands among the top 1001-1200 universities globally in the year 2023 and is the highest-ranked private university in Egypt. Additionally, the university ranks 601-800 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, reflecting its commitment to United Nations sustainability goals. FUE is also proud to be ranked 712 in Scimago Institutions Rankings, further underscoring its scientific evaluation.
Undergraduate Programs and Industry Relevance
Future University in Egypt’s undergraduate programs are designed to provide the highest level of academic education while preparing students for the competitive job market. These programs are continually updated and expanded to align with emerging trends and opportunities. The faculties of Pharmacy, Oral & Dental Medicine, Engineering & Technology, Economics & Political Science, Computers & Information Technology, and Commerce & Business Administration offer specialized programs that nurture future leaders and professionals.
Postgraduate Studies at Future University in Egypt: Nurturing Specialized Expertise
Future University in Egypt goes beyond undergraduate programs to offer a diverse array of postgraduate studies, providing opportunities for students to pursue advanced degrees and cultivate specialized expertise. Recognizing the value of continuous learning and research, FUE’s postgraduate studies encompass a range of disciplines across its faculties.
Master’s Programs:
FUE’s Master’s programs are designed to deepen students’ knowledge and skills in specific fields, fostering advanced expertise. With an emphasis on research and practical applications, these programs empower students to become industry leaders, researchers, and educators. Whether in Engineering, Pharmacy, Economics, or Computer Science, students benefit from close guidance by distinguished faculty members, conducting research that contributes to their respective fields.
Doctoral Programs:
For those aspiring to make significant contributions to academia and research, Future University’s Doctoral programs offer an opportunity to pursue in-depth studies and original research. Aspiring scholars collaborate with esteemed faculty mentors, investigating complex problems and advancing knowledge in their chosen domains. FUE’s commitment to academic excellence is further amplified through its Doctoral programs, as students engage in groundbreaking research that impacts global communities.
Professional Development and Continuing Education:
In addition to formal degrees, Future University in Egypt recognizes the importance of professional development and continuing education. FUE offers a range of certificate programs, workshops, and specialized training to empower individuals seeking to enhance their skills or explore new career paths. These short-term programs are tailored to meet the demands of professionals in various industries, allowing them to stay abreast of the latest developments in their fields.
Research Opportunities and Collaborations:
Postgraduate students at FUE have access to a rich research ecosystem, where they can actively engage in cutting-edge projects, both within the university and through collaborations with international partners. FUE’s academic partnerships with distinguished universities worldwide facilitate research exchanges and joint projects, opening doors to global research opportunities for postgraduate students.
Conclusion
As Future University in Egypt continues to evolve, it remains committed to fostering a climate of inclusiveness, civility, and academic freedom. The university’s dedication to creating an environment where intellectual curiosity thrives drives its unwavering pursuit of knowledge. Future University in Egypt is not merely an institution; it is a transformative force, shaping the minds of the future and making a positive difference in the world.

business in the music industry

or

soccer industry (sports)

Coffee shop with games or activities to create a safe inclusive fun space.

Learn more about how a business works in order to help make choices and improvement.

What location?

What to serve?

Ontario laws/rules regarding opening business

One of the most important mindsets a person could have would be patience.  I believe this because I feel like creating business can be hard and those with patience can work on it and make it perfect

• decorating services
•  Feng Shui Decorator
•  Home stager
• Seasonal Stager for businesses
• real estate photography
• photography space in store front

I currently run and operate my own agency in the insurance industry and through this program, I am looking to take an existing industry and revolutionize it to fit the current times of technology and innovation. For me, meeting clients one on one is very effective as life insurance is an lifelong promise between the advisor and the client. However, I always wonder, is there a better way to do it? More effective way to do it? And faster way to do it?

Currently, my current target market can be described as follows: anyone that is willing to listen. That is right, whether you are a mother of 2 or a university student, I will present my product to you and see what you think about it. PR or work permit, anyone under the sun is my current client.

Now this can be an asset because of the abundance of clients out there using this strategy, however, there is some draw back as well. For example, when you are aiming for nothing, you’ll settle to aim for something. It could be the reason for my slow growth in this business.

Now I need to ask, how can I service more clients in the same amount of time, while keeping the value of relationship still alive?

I find that a lot of the successful people in the insurance industry has a specific niche that they are working on. In this niche, they dominate it. For instance, EVP Ajiri Alibo was able to share with us that when he was starting out in the business, his target market was the Nigerian community. Now it has expanded to immigrants.

My question is, how do I find and determine where there is a high demand and high potential in the insurance market? That is what I am looking to find out.

The industry is very old, and quite frankly quite outdated, in the age of social media, access to technology can both be an asset and a hindrance to the success in this business. It can be an asset due to the large amount of resources, people and prospects that you can connect to, and a hindrance because people tend to be skeptical or have a hard time building solid connections over text.

My 3 main goals through this program are as follows:
1) Discover the underserved market in the insurance industry
2) How to build my agency and grow my business
3) Service more clients in the same amount of time.

Maybe my purposes will change over time as I discover more through this course. But as I learn, I hope to document my growth and ideas in my journal so that I can further allow it to thrive.

October 16, 2023 1:29 AM – Clock Out.

The most import mindset an entrepreneur should have is definitely the willingness to try; not let the fear of failure hold you back from any of the achievements you’re waiting to accomplish and being able to give yourself grace when mistakes are made. To dedicate your time developing a business plans, have fun learning new skills & keeping yourself motivated from the start and determined to accomplish all of your goals. Keep in mind that patience is definitely key throughout this entire process to becoming a profitable business owner. Invest early, save money & remember the first year, possibly second year of operation you will be self- employed working full-time to break even. Prepare yourself financially knowing your business won’t be profitable during the first year of operation. Learn patience, have faith & have fun. Photograph every milestone and capture every moment. Try not to overwork yourself managing a small business by yourself, ask for help, take a break & expect profit in about 3 years; that’s the ultimate goal – to know you did it! From there the  possibilities are endless.

I am a carpenter I’ve been doing this job for so long So I learned to much at the job site  How other trade Operate All my focus was On my idea The one I’m representing to you I’d like to create a job For everybody From movers cleaners grass cutters all kind of labor work and trades and we Provide skills and training  for labor 2010 I have registered the business And I have learned a lot How can I operate it I have a good idea now I would love to make it happen and make  Jobs  For all  Handyman and how is will to work  Physical work and more as we grow  I used to do it all by myself but I can’t anymore so I need help  Supervisor’s bookkeeping And more

Thanks for your time

Lawn care for government funded properties

Triple C

Consistent

Committed

Confidential

Create Expansion team for Renfrew County Housing properties in Pembroke.

Aquire equipment and Create second Expansion team to cut OPP, ambulance, and County Head Offices

Replace Myself as a daily worker.

Continue moving west to Deep River acquiring properties mentioned above, along with local teams to complete the work.

Entrepreneurs Mindset

-Should have a positive mindset

-Forward-thinking

-Looking to fill a gap, solve a problem, and/or address a need

test un et deux

Entrepreneur

5.3 – Exploration
Present healthy options they have never tried.

Focus on superfoods, to get the most nutrition from the least amount of ingredients needed.

Choose foods that require the least food prep and that are readily available.

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

open to be wrong.
ready to pivot.
find original thought, but, find value reusing others ideas and thoughts in the most original way you can.

…

Entrepreneurship mindset

willingness to make mistakes

willingmess to make changes to correct those mistakes

socializing with like minded people

determination

1.4 – Bringing Your Own Experience

It’s helpful to think about your own experiences and background. What strengths do you bring to this process? What are you interested in? What types of businesses do you find intriguing? Take some time to think about what you bring to your entrepreneurship trek!

Do you already have an idea for your business? It doesn’t matter if it’s not a “perfect” business idea yet; you’ll be developing this as you move through the course. Write down what immediately comes to mind for you as a business idea, without worrying whether it’s the “right” idea.

My strengths are knowledgeable about digital marketing, design thinking, and strategy. I am interested in media, tech, and entrepreneurship. The types of businesses I find intriguing are clothing brands, creative freelancing, and creative consulting.

I do already have an idea for my business, which is to create a clothing brand that aims to bring people together and embrace their own unique life journeys. It will address the problem of loneliness, especially in adulthood. As they say, the older you get, the lonelier one becomes.

13-4 – Business Presentations

In the Grow-Well pitch deck, I liked the agenda format:

Our Business
Our Customers
How We Do It
Sales and Financials
Action Plan

Types of Business Models

Sell a thing
Rent a thing
Take a cut
Charge a subscription
Charge based on usage
Sell a service
Advertising
Percentage of assets

2.4 – The Entrepreneur Mindset

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?
Growth mindset.

Mental wellness,, self care,, connecting to nature, health and well being,, feeling good,, reading ,, sharing knowledge,, small changes ,, mini getaway,, disconnect to connect with yourself..

We provide candles for the health conscious individual that not only burns cleaner and than our competitors but when our candles are done burning you can discard the remaining wax from our handcrafted ceramic vessels to use as a cup (that’s dishwasher and microwave safe!)

SEO Content Creation Business

OR Nail Design Business

What is your story?
What are your goals?
How do you spend your time?

In pondering what the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have, I realized it’s simple.

One of hope and determination.

Without hope and determination, one can not continue in the hard times. Without hope and determination, one will not adapt to the inevitable changes and hurdles.

With hope and determination almost nothing can stand in an entrepreneurs way.

Hope and determination help pave the way to the future.

My five Interviewees:

THe most important thing to consider when being an entrepreneur is to accept failure.  We may need to take a different direction and that is sometimes the best thing!

I want to have a business with my senior fitness
713940 – Fitness and recreational sports centresUS
This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating health clubs and similar facilities featuring exercise and other active physical fitness conditioning, or recreational sports activities.

• Illustrative example(s)

  • athletic clubs, physical fitness facilities
  • gymnasiums
  • handball, racquetball, squash or tennis clubs
  • health spas (without lodging), physical fitness
  • physical fitness centres or studios
  • skating rinks, ice or roller
  • swimming pools
  • wave pools

  All examples

• Exclusion(s)

  • helping clients lose weight through diet control or management (See 812190 Other personal care services)
  • operating health resorts and spas providing lodging (See 721113 Resorts)

Testing testing testing

I think the most important qualities an entrepreneur should have is resilience and a tendency to overplan. I think it is important for an entrepreneur to know what the rules for pivoting may be, and how they would look in any emergency scenario for their business.

I want to create games to encourage off-screen oral language learning.

I would like to offer game sessions at first, before then offering training sessions for language teachers and assistants who want to leverage games in the classroom to improve second language speaking.

I would also like to do corporate training sessions for engineers especially, and then more onto other enterprises.

The most important traits an entrepreneur should have:

Confidence

Curiosity

Presence

Not afraid of failure or to be wrong

Not afraid to reach out to others for help

Disciplined

EBay store

1. Convenient Subscription Service: Offer a subscription service providing Spanish-language resources, such as worksheets, guides, or templates, designed to help business owners manage their online shops more efficiently.

2. Easy-to-Follow Plans: Create easy-to-follow business plans, marketing strategies, or product launch checklists tailored to Etsy and eBay sellers in Spanish.
3. Time-Saving Tips: Share time-saving tips and tricks for managing Etsy and eBay shops, including product listing, order management, and customer communication, in Spanish.
4. Educational Information and Guidance: Offer comprehensive guides, webinars, or workshops in Spanish on topics related to e-commerce, online marketing, and business management.
5. Interactive Business Tracking App: Develop a user-friendly app in Spanish that helps Etsy and eBay sellers track their sales, inventory, and marketing efforts, providing personalized recommendations based on their business needs.
6. Community Support: Create an online community or forum in Spanish where Spanish-speaking Etsy and eBay sellers can connect, share experiences, and support each other.
7. Educational Resources: Offer webinars, workshops, or articles in Spanish on topics related to e-commerce, online marketing, and business management tailored to Etsy and eBay sellers.
8. Personalized Customer Support: Provide dedicated customer support in Spanish to address questions or concerns from Etsy and eBay sellers, ensuring they feel confident and supported in their online business journey.

my vision statement:

At [Your Business Name], our vision is to be the premier provider of engaging, effective, and culturally-relevant Spanish language learning materials for 25,000 business professionals, students, and teachers by 2026. We aim to create a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures by offering innovative, high-quality worksheets, tools, and educational resources tailored to the unique needs of our diverse customers. Through our commitment to excellence, continuous improvement, and fostering a passion for language learning, we strive to empower learners to confidently communicate and succeed in their personal, academic, and professional pursuits, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and interconnected global community.

most important things a entrepreneur should have.
1. A never back down attitude.
2. Strong willed
3. adaptive thinking
4. a planner but also a bit of a risk taker

5. someone whose kind but can speak up if needed and isn’t afraid to lay down the law

what do you bring as an entrepreneur

1. I’m punctual

2. I have customer service experience as well as retail experience working in a warehouse receiving and ordering inventory and performing various other stock management tasks including unloading trucks

3. I have worked construction, roofing, siding, and landscaping jobs

4. I went to school for business management and also took my a+ certification course

1.6 got to finish

2024-02-27

What it means to be an entrepreneur:

To have a vision, to not be scared of failure but to see it as a learning/growing opportunity. It means to take control of your own life.It means to work more than a traditional 9-5 at the start. The life of an entrepreneur is to have a life no one would like to have for the first 10 years to later have a life everyone would want. About the mindset, is always a growth mindset, perseverance and a lot of planning.It is also to accept that it is hard but i can do it.People less smart than me have done it.

Marketing (zoom):
Time is equal to cost. Stop wasting it.

Example, I want x customers in the next y months. Referrals , what they get in return. Positioning statement, pi, as universal as pi., wide range.Why,what,where,when,who – to do one.

Overhead cost – things you have to pay regardless, for services, smaller costs. COGS.

Always inform customers in advance if you change prices. Set a revenue target and work your way back. You can write off your phonr most likely. Keep everything you bought, receipts!

Humble beginning and successful future.

Right now: (Humble beginnings):
I have tutoring sessions in my building’s common area, the most I have charged is 35$/h

Brainstorm for busy betty of grow-well:

Grow well can have for all its customers an on demand phone line in case they need help or have questions about the product, the company should respond fast and have almost no wait time. Very useful for people like busy betty, they do not have a lot of time.

Cooking classes should be ideally recorded videos she can see at any time, only using grow well food. If she needs help while watching a video she should contact the help line

Idea Generator reflections

I don’t have a driving passion for starting a business. I just want to find a way to not be as poor despite my disability.

I have to care about the work I am doing to feel ok about the harm I am doing to my body by working. Working makes me sick and ruins my quality of life but I am poor and want to improve my living conditions. I am disabled and chronically ill with a heart condition and autonomic dysregulation . My symptoms get worse with stress (both physical and mental).

I can’t commute. My body is very delicate. It would absolutely destroy my brain to be on the computer all day. It hurts to read or look at a screen.

So I have to find a job that allows me to work a variety of different tasks to avoid monotony (bad for my brain injury) and repetitive stress injuries. The job has to be from home and ideally physically active.

My time management is bad because I am sick and take time to cope with my illness and pain.

Garden and Agriculture Tools Technology

1.4 Bringing Your Own Experience

My Own Experiences and Background

• Even though I feel like I’m new to the music industry, I have over a decade of musical training experience. My musical background is also diverse, so I have a basic understanding of lots of different styles and genres and musical practices.
• My undergrad taught me so much about music and teaching, but most of all it taught me about musicians. I have known so many people who are the type of client we’re going to be working with at Firespark. I understand what they need and how we can help them.
• I have almost a decade of experience working with kids and youth now, in music teaching contexts but also just in general. I am used to the role of mentoring, which will be a big part of this company once we are established even though it is not an official service we are selling. I am good at connecting and communicating with people and I am genuinely passionate about understanding people’s needs and how I can help.
• Chloe and I are the perfect people to be starting a business together. We’ve gotten through so many eras of life together and collaborated in so many ways. We are good at communicating with each other and at dividing work in a way that plays to each of our strengths and makes things manageable.

Our Business Idea

• As we’ve been applying for grants for our business, Chloe and I have gotten a pretty good idea of what we’re looking to build. This is the summary we wrote for a grant recently:For years now, Chloe and I have been lucky enough to be in community with countless talented young musicians looking to start their careers. After watching many of our classmates, colleagues, and friends begin to work towards releasing music, we noticed a major gap in the industry when it comes to music production services tailored towards new artists. These musicians are seeking a professional sound, and need support in creating well rounded recordings of their work that can be used for any number of reasons such as submitting to labels, seeking performance opportunities, as audition materials, and for professional reels.As we have developed our skills in music composition/songwriting, recording, producing, and mixing, Chloe and I have often provided this type of support to emerging artists in our cohorts. Between the two of us, we have a wide range of skills and experiences, and as we’ve continued our education these skills are constantly developing. As we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the music industry, we’ve seen that the need for this type of service exists far beyond our own circles.From our shared upbringing in choral ensembles to our current projects, Chloe and I have always gravitated toward collaborative work. Our diverse musical backgrounds, compatible skill sets, and our shared value for supporting other musicians in their work make us a natural team. Firespark Production is the culmination of our vision to bridge the gap in the music industry by providing music production services that are affordable, accessible, and specifically tailored to artists who are new to the industry and need that extra level of support to elevate their work. Our mission is to make professional-grade production accessible, empowering artists to realize their creative visions without the financial and professional barriers that so often stand in the way.

2.4 The Entrepreneur Mindset

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

I think the reason a person becomes an entrepreneur is because they see a need for their business, and they believe that what they’re building will have an impact. It’s really easy to feel like starting a business is too overwhelming and that you’re the one who needs the clients, but I think it’s important to remember that you wouldn’t be doing this if the clients didn’t need you. I also think it’s important to separate your self-worth from the success of your business. Being an entrepreneur, you have to be open minded and realize that you will make mistakes. I think networking and seeking mentorship from experienced business owners and professionals in and outside of your industry is essential.

5.3 Busy Betty

• She needs food she can trust to provide all the nutrients her baby needs
  • Clear labeling that shows ingredients & nutritional facts in a straight-forward way
  • Availability of further information (sourcing details, could do a feature profile on a farmer, etc.)
• She needs easy food
  • No prep required
  • Easy to keep, doesn’t expire too quickly or require really specific storage or care

March4, 2024 Business idea

Home made healthy food as your mother would prepare and give you for daily consumption.

Food for people who struggle with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and ADHD which doesn’t always allows you to cook or even think about looking up a recipe. you are also unable to call your mom back home due to time zone differences.

March 11:

Concerns –

Is there a demand for my product? I s it enough to sustain my life for the next 30 years?

March 12:

The mindset of an entrepreneur:

• Discipline
• Resilience
• Ability to set and aim for long-term goals
• Patience
• Ability to take negative feedback
• Self-awareness

What I need to work on:

• Comfort with the uncertain
• Not being stuck on perfection – beginner mindset

March 19

Position Statement

Gaia is a zero-emissions personal transportation service featuring a fleet of electric luxury vehicles. We target environmentally conscious professionals in Toronto who seek a chauffeur service alternative that is sustainable and responsible. 

Vision Statement

Toronto’s premier private transportation service, industry-leading in environmental and social impact. The company will look to expand into other urban areas within 5 years. 

March 22

Nike – “Just Do It”

Empowerment, movement, go-getter, motion, capability

Logo – “swoosh”

Affirmation, “yes”, go, speed, agility, good, motion, movement

• Logo determines pricing, partners, sponsors, and personality of a business
  • What is the personality of Gaia?
    • Professional
    • Reliable
    • Timely
    • Considerate
    • Responsible 
    • Helpful
    • Personable
    • Kind
    • Empathetic 

Positioning Statement Idea Example:

• Who is your target customer?
• What business are you in?
• What benefit does your business bring to your customer?
• What makes it better than your competition?

My business is a merch brand , for women ages 20-30, that provides skateboards better than the competition because of [difference between you and competitor].

Brand name: Red Eyed Rabbit

RER is a skateboard and merch brand

Businesses that Interest Me:
Cafe/Gallery/Collectibles
Self-employed Artist/Writer
Art Residency Consultant/Documenter

The willingness to accept failure or that one can be wrong, thereby being open to learn, adapt, grow, and improve oneself and one’s business without letting obstacles or setbacks completely derail progress.

An entrepreneur mindset ought to be: resilient, open to failure, creative, driven, and focused.

I would like to own and operate a gift-type shop that appeals to a broad cross-section of icustomers.

bla

Questions:

• How would I know if I need a business partner? And would I find one?

Business:

Consulting and business services
Financial counseling/advising and insurance

Disability Finanical Literacy Coaching Program (Personal and Entrepreneurs)

My aspirations extend beyond personal success, they resonate in my business too. At [Minnie Riley .Co], we target working-age disabled adults who lack access to high-quality financial education and entrepreneurship opportunities.

We strive to offer support and provide resources that can create sustainable, financially independent futures for them and their families.

should be ready to be disappoints many time but also their are good time too
Short-Term Customer Experience Storyboard for Opal Body and Beauty
Customer Persona: Emily Richardson, a 29-year-old digital marketing specialist in Toronto, seeking convenience and confidence-boosting wellness services.

Step 1: Awareness

• Scene: Emily scrolling Instagram during her lunch break.
  • She sees a captivating reel showcasing a client’s transformation after a series of body sculpting and detox treatments.
  • The reel highlights the mobile convenience of Opal Body and Beauty, eco-friendly practices, and glowing client testimonials.
  • Emily notices a partnership promotion with her gym, offering a 10% discount for first-time bookings.

Step 2: Consideration and Booking

• Scene: Emily visits the Opal Body and Beauty website on her phone.
  • The homepage greets her with a sleek design and an option for a free virtual consultation.
  • She uses the virtual assistant feature, answering a few questions about her goals (post-holiday detox and toning).
  • The assistant recommends a tailored package combining lymphatic drainage and cavitation treatments.
  • Emily books a mobile appointment for the following weekend, selecting a convenient 3 PM time slot.

Step 3: Service Experience

• Scene: Emily’s apartment, a serene setup by the Opal Body and Beauty specialist.
  • The specialist arrives punctually, sets up eco-friendly equipment, and explains each step of the process.
  • The session begins with a consultation and a relaxing sauna blanket detox.
  • During the treatments, Emily receives personalized tips and reassurance, enhancing her comfort.
  • She’s provided with real-time feedback on her body’s response to the therapy.

Step 4: Follow-Up and Support

• Scene: Emily receiving a follow-up email two days later.
  • The email includes a personalized care guide with tips to maintain her results.
  • A thank-you message offers her a discount for her next session if booked within a month.
  • She’s invited to join a monthly wellness challenge via an email subscription, featuring self-care tips and success stories from other clients.

Step 5: Advocacy

• Scene: Emily sharing her experience on social media.
  • She posts an Instagram story showing her before-and-after results, tagging Opal Body and Beauty.
  • She writes, “Loving my results! Thanks to @OpalBodyAndBeauty for the amazing mobile service and personalized care.”
  • Friends inquire about the service, and Emily shares her referral link for discounts.

Key Elements of the Storyboard

1. Awareness: Social media marketing, influencer partnerships, and gym promotions.
2. Consideration: User-friendly website, virtual consultation, and tailored recommendations.
3. Service Experience: Personalized, in-home treatments with a focus on comfort and results.
4. Follow-Up: Email support, care guides, and loyalty incentives.
5. ChatGPT said:ChatGPT

   Here’s the refined approach for Step 3:
   Refined Positioning Statement Options:

   1. Option 1 (Direct and Simple):
      “For busy individuals in Toronto seeking confidence and convenience, Opal Body and Beauty provides personalized mobile and in-store wellness services, combining cutting-edge treatments with eco-friendly practices to deliver exceptional results.”
      Refinement: This version is concise and highlights the essentials—ideal for elevator pitches or concise marketing.
   2. Option 2 (Customer-Centric):
      “Opal Body and Beauty is the go-to wellness service for busy professionals in Toronto, offering tailored, non-invasive beauty treatments that enhance confidence and recovery—all delivered with the convenience of mobile care and a commitment to sustainability.”
      Refinement: This version emphasizes the customer’s needs, making it relatable and emotionally appealing.
   3. Option 3 (Differentiating with Eco-Friendliness):
      “For wellness-conscious individuals in Toronto, Opal Body and Beauty offers eco-friendly, mobile beauty services that combine personalized care with state-of-the-art treatments, ensuring confidence and well-being without compromising convenience.”
      Refinement: This version differentiates with a strong focus on sustainability, appealing to environmentally aware customers.Advocacy: Encouraging user-generated content and referrals through incentives.                                 6.3
      1. Who is your target customer?
         Busy professionals and individuals aged 20–65 in Toronto who value wellness, convenience, and confidence-boosting beauty services.
      2. What business are you in?
         A beauty and wellness service specializing in mobile and in-store post-operative care, body sculpting, and detox treatments.
      3. What benefit does your business bring to your customer?
         Convenient, personalized, and non-invasive solutions that enhance confidence, aid recovery, and promote overall well-being.
      4. What makes it better than your competition?
         A unique combination of mobile convenience, eco-friendly practices, and tailored care plans delivered by certified professionals.

      Step 2: Draft the Positioning Statement
      Option 1 (Direct and Simple):
      “For busy individuals in Toronto seeking confidence and convenience, Opal Body and Beauty provides personalized mobile and in-store wellness services, combining cutting-edge treatments with eco-friendly practices to deliver exceptional results.”

      Option 2 (Customer-Centric):
      “Opal Body and Beauty is the go-to wellness service for busy professionals in Toronto, offering tailored, non-invasive beauty treatments that enhance confidence and recovery—all delivered with the convenience of mobile care and a commitment to sustainability.”

      Option 3 (Differentiating with Eco-Friendliness):
      “For wellness-conscious individuals in Toronto, Opal Body and Beauty offers eco-friendly, mobile beauty services that combine personalized care with state-of-the-art treatments, ensuring confidence and well-being without compromising convenience

6.4

1. Where/what do you hope your business to be 5 to 10 years from now?
   • A leading name in the beauty and wellness industry in Toronto, renowned for innovative, non-invasive treatments.
   • Operate both mobile services and a flagship wellness center with multiple locations.
   • Be recognized for setting industry standards in eco-friendly practices and personalized care.
   • Empower thousands of clients annually to feel confident and rejuvenated.
2. How will your business be known? How do you want people to think about your company?
   • Known for exceptional customer experiences and transformative results.
   • Thought of as a trusted partner in post-operative recovery and beauty care.
   • Synonymous with luxury, convenience, and sustainability.

Step 2: Draft Vision Statement Options

1. Option 1 (Aspiration-Focused):
   “In the next decade, Opal Body and Beauty will be a trailblazer in the beauty and wellness industry, empowering clients to achieve confidence and well-being through innovative, non-invasive treatments delivered with unmatched care and sustainability.”
2. Option 2 (Customer Experience-Focused):
   “Our vision is to become the most trusted name in beauty and wellness, recognized for revolutionizing customer care with mobile and in-store experiences that transform confidence and redefine convenience.”
3. Option 3 (Eco-Friendly and Innovation-Focused):
   “Opal Body and Beauty aspires to lead the beauty and wellness industry by delivering transformative results through cutting-edge, eco-friendly treatments, setting a new standard for sustainable self-care.”

   “Opal Body and Beauty envisions becoming the trusted leader in non-invasive beauty and wellness, empowering individuals to achieve confidence and holistic well-being through personalized, results-driven treatments. With a focus on eco-friendly practices, mobile convenience, and exceptional care, we aim to redefine beauty standards while promoting sustainable and accessible self-care solutions.”

   This version emphasizes:

   1. Non-invasive solutions as a core service focus.
   2. Empowerment and holistic well-being, resonating with your customer persona’s emotional and physical needs.
   3. Personalization and results-driven care, highlighting your customer-first approach.
   4. Eco-friendly and sustainable practices, aligning with your brand values.
   5. Mobile convenience, a distinctive feature of your services.

IDEAS:

-stuffed animals

-beekeeping?

-slime?

-wildlife-inspired toys

To Crystal,

I am so proud of you for not backing down on your dream. You are doing so well in assisting the clients that you are serving. There have been a number of people who have completed the program, and some who are currently in College, or other work that they enjoy. Working at the hospital was great, but this work has been so much more fulfilling. You have been able to use your candy-making skills and your desire to help those who have struggled like you and make an amazing program that has and will continue to help so many people. Although not everyone will complete the program, or complete it in the first attempt, it will still help them on their path.

My biggest hopes are that I can continue to prove that this model is self-sustaining. I realize that means a lot of work, but it is such fulfilling work.  My biggest fear is failing. I want to help people and give them the supports and assistance that I never received.

By having the group therapy as well as the candy store, I will be able to teach them coping skills, basic skills, and then business skills. With the business skills they can go on to other fulfilling work or educational paths.

The important mindsets that an entrepreneur needs is patience, time-management,  variety and change, an open mind, creativity, and flexibility. Things will not go as planned. Things will need to be changed and adapted. It is important that we realize this as we enter into this or we will have a more difficult time handling it when it does.

Being an entrepreneur means:-

• being ready to take the right risks
• ready to be wrong
• able to keep going forward
• not giving up
• learn from a mistake and develop a new strategy

i have a lorawan wearable device idea for homeless people to connect them with shelters and resources it uses lorawan instead of wifi or cellular data.

Most important mindset a entrepreneur should have is a positive one. I think through the stages of making and stating a business there is many points where all the things that have gone wrong seem to take over all the good you are trying to do and maintaining a positive and level headed mindset in those moments can be super difficult.

I think for me personally im afraid of failure, coming from a technical background in engineering i can often find myself wanting to have everything correct in execution, as i learn to become an entrepreneur i will need to become comfortable with failure and being uncomfortable.

– wheelchair accessible door

– sunday 1pm – 2pm lots of kids and parents, some students, some couples, one senior

– main challenges: pricing, booking information, and kids and parents.

-qr code to sign waiver – have some paper waivers available incase someone does not have an electronic device on them.

-cute cat pen to sign paper waivers: merchandise

-picture signage like you see on the road and such so people don’t have to read a bunch of rules since people are impatient.

-no flash or ringer on phones so the cats don’t get scared

-breakfast/lunch items that are nutritious along with baked goods: smoothies as well.

-handle rail in bathroom, baby changing station, gender neutral bathrooms, bathrooms outside of cat room so the cats don’t get trapped in the bathroom.

-cat door where cats can escape from people if they need a break.

-customers can buy cats treats to feed to the cats – limit of only 2-3 treats per cat.

-hours of operation will be 8am-8pm because cats are more energetic in the morning and people drink coffee in the morning.

-serve water bottles, milk, and juice.

-have first-aid kits on hand – training.

-have a staff introduce people to the cats + information about them on the walls somewhere.

-all cats are adoptable – talk to staff or online.

-10% discount for people who own a black cat with proof of a photo.

-get a dishwasher, nice plates, only finger food.

-an event where people can write a name down, put it in a box, and then we do a draw and whichever name gets picked is what we name the cat. they also write their social media @ or email so at the end of the day they will get tagged or emailed if their name got picked.

-people vote for the best photo (with customer permission) and whichever photo wins gets a free drink or treat.

Business Ideas?

• Social Media Content Creator for Realtors
• Website Creation
• SAAS Services for Realtors

What do you think is the most important mindset an entrepreneur should have?

• It’s better to start now than not starting at all
• The first is always the hardest and overtime it will get better
• Believe in your skills
• Do not give up
• You’ll get there eventually
• Ready to be wrong
• Ready to Learn
• Willing to keep an open mind
• Comfortable with uncertainty
• The first time is not always perfect, Grow as you learn.

• EV Business Cars for teaching driving lessons
• discounts for students
• have gasoline cars for students’ preferences as well

“enterprising human action in pursuit of the generation of value, through the creation or expansion of economic activity, by identifying and exploiting new products, processes or markets.” Right…

Mindset

• try new things
• be ready to fail
• be persistent
• be flexible

Develop a sense of urgency

3 gears of busoiness design

empathy and deep human understanfing

concept visualization

strategic business design

Exploration is about seeing and visualizing all possibilities without judging them.

I will design a bum wiper https://a.co/d/ixGc7aE for disabled people who can use it when they come out of the toilet.