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nenetus/ShuttershockBreaking out as an entrepreneur is not an easy task. Even if you have a phenomenal idea for a business, there is a lot you need to know in order to get it funded and off the ground. For anyone equipped with an elevator pitch and the passion to push a project forward, Coursera has linked up with the Wharton School of Business to offer an Entrepreneurship Specialization program consisting of five classes meant to help you launch your next venture.
The first course in the program will take students through the process of developing an idea into an actual business opportunity. You'll learn to assess market opportunity and prototype your business model, which will, in turn, help to validate your idea to yourself and potential investors. From there, the second course will teach you how to launch your startup, providing advice on the art of the pitch, building and managing a team, distributing equity of the company, and of course, when the time is right to quit your day job.
Once you know how to get your project off the ground, the third and fourth courses from Wharton focus on building and sustaining success. You’ll learn about growth strategies, the cost of customer acquisition, and how to market your business through social media and SEO, as well as the finer points of financing your business and putting yourself in a position for continued profitability.
The specialization programs wraps up with a capstone project that will have you creating a pitch deck for your new venture. You’ll also get to review the projects of your peers, and the students with the highest scoring projects will be introduced to some of the venture capitalist firms that are a part of the Wharton Entrepreneurship network.
If you've been sitting on an idea for a business you are passionate about, but didn't know where to begin, this is a chance to get started with a little help from the Ivy League. You can enroll in the entire specialization program for $535, or pay course by course if you'd like to try out one course first before committing for the long haul. By the end of the program, you should have a completed pitch deck and be ready to pitch investors and bring your business to life.
