Entrepreneurship II: Preparing for Launch

Overview

Class Central Tips

This course builds on previous concepts and outlines strategies and tactics for forming, financing, and launching a new venture. Topics to be addressed will include building the new venture’s initial management team, identifying and reaching out to early customers, developing financial plans, raising startup and initial growth financing, and preparing for and managing rapid growth.
You will be able to:
- Develop an understanding of what is required in a new venture
- Create a plan to identify and approach your first customers
- Build financial projections for the new venture
- Understand how to raise equity capital for the new venture
- Monitor the health and scalability of a new venture

This course is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admission into these programs and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into a degree program at https://degrees.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/idegrees/.

Syllabus

Course Orientation

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.

Module 1: Earning Revenue

In this module, we will discuss go-to-market strategies.

Module 2: Financial Forecasting

In this module, we will discuss how to build financial projections for the startup company, in order to determine the potential size and scope of the business opportunity and the financing that may be required to successfully pursue that opportunity.

Module 3: Raising Capital

This module is focused on how startup companies raise capital from outside investors.

Module 4: Managing Growth

This module is focused on growth – metrics that can be used to help manage it, and alternatives to consider if the company is not growing as it needs to.