Start Up - Honest Practical Business Advice

Fundamentals of running a business - from an experienced serial entrepreneur

What you'll learn

Define what motivates you to succeed, and what your end goals are

Develop a solid business idea

Learn how to carry out market research

Discover the power of networking

Learn about how to appoint professional advisers

Understand capital gains tax vs income tax

Create a robust business plan

Develop leadership and people management skills

Learn how to create a brand and culture

Gain an understanding of how to raise finance and investment

Get to know your customers and develop a marketing plan

Master accounting, including billing and payment systems

Requirements

No previous experience or equipment is needed

You may want to write down or print some of the information

Having some examples in mind related to your start up journey would be helpful

A willingness to learn and a self motivated attitude is essential!

Description

Start Up - Honest Practical Business AdvicePractical advice on how to start and grow your business from former Dragon’s Den investor Piers Linney.Starting your own business is an exciting step that can allow you to do work that you love while moving towards financial independence and freedom.But going it alone can be daunting – particularly when you realise you need to learn about things like accounting, leadership and raising finance as well as being an expert on your product or service.#StartUp with Piers Linney is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to start up or grow their own business. It offers practical advice in a digestible format from former Dragon’s Den investor and award-winning entrepreneur Piers Linney.This course provides honest, no-nonsense advice from a real-life entrepreneur who has done it all before, giving you the knowledge and tools you need to achieve your business goals. You’ll learn how to develop the mindset of an entrepreneur, including management techniques and leadership concepts to give you the confidence you need.Follow a clear framework with this step-by-step guide that takes you from finding a business idea to branding, raising finance and more. Take advantage of the knowledge and experience of a former Dragon and avoid the common mistakes that many entrepreneurs make when starting out.With 10 hours of content in the form of 76 easy-to-digest videos, this course is the ultimate guide to starting or growing your new business. It includes supporting materials and quizzes to help consolidate your knowledge, and you can refer back to the lessons at any point in your business journey.You’ll receive practical, expert advice, with actionable steps you can take to move your business forward straight away.Piers Linney is an entrepreneur and investor with experience across a range of sectors, including technology, communications and more. He is best known as a former Dragon on BBC1’s Dragon’s Den, and has also appeared on Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire.Piers has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 most influential black Britons and is chairman and co-founder of Atherton Bikes, as well as co-founder of Implement AI.The course overview includes:Discover your motivation and identify your business ideaUnderstand the competitive landscape and business economicsLearn where to find support, mentors and professional advisersDevelop a business planRemain compliant with a legal checklistDevelop the mindset of an entrepreneurLearn how to recruit the best peopleCreate a brand and culture that reflects your product or serviceGet investor-ready and learn how to raise financeUnderstand your customers and how to sell to themSet up billing and payment systemsTake the first step towards running a successful business with expert guidance from former Dragon Piers Linney. Get started today and begin the journey to achieve your business goals.

Overview

Section 1: Module 1: Preparation - Are You Ready?

Lecture 1 Introduction - Start Up

Lecture 2 What is your motivation?

Lecture 3 What is your destination?

Lecture 4 Physical, emotional and financial considerations

Lecture 5 Finding a business idea

Section 2: Module 2: Research

Lecture 6 How to research / SWOT

Lecture 7 Competitive landscape & business economics

Lecture 8 MVP, prototype & service testing

Section 3: Module 3: Seeking Support

Lecture 9 Finding a mentor

Lecture 10 Seek advice & feedback

Lecture 11 Network, network, network

Lecture 12 The sources of support for start ups

Lecture 13 Appointing professional advisers

Section 4: Module 4: Business Structure

Lecture 14 Founder considerations

Lecture 15 Business is about people

Lecture 16 Which legal structure?

Lecture 17 Tax 101: Capital gains tax vs income tax

Lecture 18 What are options & warrants

Section 5: Module 5: Writing A Business Plan

Lecture 19 Why you need a business plan

Lecture 20 Goals, measurement and milestones

Lecture 21 Realistic financial forecasts

Section 6: Module 6: What is an Organisation?

Lecture 22 What is an organisation?

Lecture 23 What is a startup?

Lecture 24 Who are the founders?

Lecture 25 What does the board of directors do?

Section 7: Module 7: Legal Checklist

Lecture 26 Constitutional documents, partnership and shareholder agreements

Lecture 27 Standard form agreements

Lecture 28 Contract law 101 & legal liability

Lecture 29 Regulations & compliance

Lecture 30 What insurances do you need?

Lecture 31 Understanding personal & business taxation

Section 8: Module 8: Leadership & Management

Lecture 32 Leadership & developing a culture

Lecture 33 You are the boss

Lecture 34 Expect to be let down

Lecture 35 Every problem you face has been faced before

Lecture 36 Stay lean and mean

Lecture 37 Roles, responsibilities and measurement

Lecture 38 Locating your business & virtual teams

Lecture 39 Why do start-ups pivot?

Section 9: Module 9: Managing People

Lecture 40 Prepare to manage people

Lecture 41 Don't just recruit family & friends

Lecture 42 Recruitment strategy & diversity

Lecture 43 Employees, consultants or freelancers?

Lecture 44 Employment law 101

Lecture 45 Top 20 tips for a new employer

Section 10: Module 10: Branding & Intellectual property

Lecture 46 Your brand is more than your logo

Lecture 47 Creating a brand and culture

Lecture 48 Protecting your intellectual property

Section 11: Module 11: Raising Finance

Lecture 49 Raising finance to start-up

Lecture 50 What is an 'exit' or a 'liquidity event'

Lecture 51 Getting investor ready

Lecture 52 Crowdfunding

Lecture 53 Research eligibility for R&D tax credits & grants

Section 12: Module 12: Sales and Marketing

Lecture 54 Who are your customers?

Lecture 55 Why do you need a go-to-market strategy?

Lecture 56 B2C or B2B?

Lecture 57 Sell, sell, sell & then sell some more

Lecture 58 Routes to market

Lecture 59 Who is responsible - sales or marketing?

Lecture 60 Developing your marketing plan

Lecture 61 Measure to manage and understanding sales funnels

Lecture 62 Winning reference customers

Lecture 63 What is 'public relations' (PR)?

Lecture 64 Social media 101

Section 13: Module 13: Customer Service

Lecture 65 Why you need to take your customer service seriously

Lecture 66 Customer relationship management (CRM)

Lecture 67 Your customer feedback loop is critical to success

Section 14: Module 14: Operations & Information Security

Lecture 68 Separation of roles & management

Lecture 69 Who is responsible for ICT, operations, property, record keeping etc.?

Section 15: Module 15: Accounting & Finance

Lecture 70 Accounting: Do or die!

Lecture 71 Use technology for everything

Lecture 72 Billing and payment systems

Lecture 73 Responsibility for reporting & filings

Lecture 74 Accounting 101: Profit & Loss & Cash Flow statements

Lecture 75 Accounting 101: What is a Balance Sheet?

Lecture 76 Credit control & getting paid

Anyone planning to start a business regardless of sector,Founders already growing a business,Entrepreneurs who need to raise finance and want an insider view,Anyone looking to avoid common mistakes that new entrepreneurs make,People without access to mentors with business experience,Anyone who wants to accelerate their progress and become a more efficient leader