Key Program Components

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2 Key Program Components Business Assessment : The Business Assessment gives participants key information on their business performance and opportunities for growth in the areas of Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customers and Markets, Finance and Accounting, Performance Management, Human Resources, and Process Management. The assessment is a baseline for learning, and is revisited throughout the program. Strategic Growth Action Plan (Growth Plan): Developed incrementally throughout the curriculum, the Growth Plan is the cornerstone of the program, as it enables entrepreneurs to set strategic goals for sustained business growth. Participants present their Final Growth Plan to a panel of experts at the end of the program. Live Cases: Instead of using external or theoretical case studies, the StreetWise Steps curriculum utilizes participants businesses as case studies for peer-based learning. By focusing on what real entrepreneurs are coping with in real time, complex and confusing concepts are more readily understood and applied. Guest Experts: Local guest experts are invited to over half of the sessions to provide participants with further knowledge, expertise, and resources to address their business needs within and beyond the classroom. CEO Mentoring Groups: Beyond the classroom, participants engage with a small CEO Mentoring Group of their peers to discuss business challenges, provide mentorship and feedback, and build lasting professional and personal relationships. 2

3 Expectations We are all busy. We all have to manage multiple commitments and priorities and there are only 24 hours in the day. However, we all get to decide what we spend our time on. Hundreds of busy entrepreneurs before you have completed the program and the session prep required. Emergencies and other unexpected events may happen. However, the program is based on a community of interdependent learners and both you and your peers will lose out if you are not present or prepared. 3-Es of the curriculum: Excellence, Engagement and Ethics (Howard Gardner) Excellence: You get out of this program what you put in and it can be transformational. Cutting corners, missing deadlines and submitting suboptimal work not only wastes your time, but it also wastes the time of your peers and your instructor. Excellence in preparation means arriving on time for each class and ready to engage with your A game. You are best prepared to maximize your own learning and to contribute to the learning of others when you come well-prepared and ready to play. Engagement: The most provocative ideas and freshest insights are of little use if not shared with your peers. Everyone in the classroom is responsible for advancing group discussion forward in a productive fashion without hogging attention or remaining utterly passive. Participants undermine their own professional development, as well as that of their peers, by forgoing opportunities to share their experiences and unique perspective with the class. Ethics: Actively reinforce your, and your business s, reputation for fairness, respect, honesty, and confidentiality. Books Provided 1. Kremer, Chuck, et. al. Managing by the Numbers: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Using your Company s Financials. 2. Jantsch, John. Duct Tape Marketing: The World s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. 3

4 Greenville Chamber Minority Business Accelerator Module Session Title Date 1 Overview of Program and Introduction to Goal-Setting CEO Mentoring Group 1 Module I 2 Setting Initial Strategic Growth Goals Business & 3 Challenges and Stages of Small Business Growth Leadership Growth Plan I due CEO Mentoring Group 2 Module II Financial Management Module III Marketing & Sales Module IV Resource Management Module V Make It Real 4 Financial Statement Analysis (2-3 guest speakers) 5 Financial Analysis as a Business Tool (3 guest speakers) CEO Mentoring Group 3 6 Understanding How Others See Your Financials (2 live cases) Growth Plan II due 7 Identifying & Targeting Your Ideal Customer base 8 Positioning Your Business Within a Competitive Landscape CEO Mentoring Group 4 9 Sales Strategies, Resources and Systems Growth Plan III due 10 Human Resources CEO Mentoring Group 5 Accessing New Capital: Public and Private Financing 11 (2 live cases and 3-4 guest speakers) Accessing New Markets: Doing Business with the Government 12 (2 live cases and 3-4 guest speakers) CEO Mentoring Group 6 Growth Plan IV CEO Mentoring Group 7 FINAL Growth Plan DUE 13 Final Presentations of Strategic Growth Action Plans (Panelists) 4

5 Continual Engagement Those who successfully complete the 7 month StreetWise MBA TM curriculum will advance to the second phase of the 12 month program, which consists of the following services: An assigned Coach - Coaches are individuals that agree to work one-on-one directly with the CEO of at least one MBE participant, in an effort to help them achieve a successful outcome through the MBA program. Typically, the assistance provided by the Coach will be centered on specific goals identified in the Strategic Growth Plan. Continuation of Peer-to-Peer CEO Mentoring Groups Technical assistance with Strategic Growth Plan Participation in pitch sessions organized by MBA Potential for Introductions and Referrals Potential for Exposure Opportunities Leadership Session including current MBA participants and alums Opportunity to contribute to the MBA program in future years as an ambassador/coach/mentor/speaker, etc. 5