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Starting a Small Business course

Looking to start a small business of your own? Gain the knowledge and insights to start and run a successful business with Entry Education’s online small business course.

Entry Education’s Small Business course is designed to teach entrepreneurs the foundations of running a successful business, from monitoring and managing cash flow to developing a business plan. Learn from seasoned business experts across key topics, including sales methods, budgeting, and marketing, before launching your small business into the market. The course also includes tailored support from trainers who will answer any questions you have along the way.

Get started
Online self paced courses
$495$395

Online self-paced
(non-accredited)

Afterpay
afterpay

4 interest-free instalments

Average / estimated salary in the industry
Approx. earnings

Unlimited

Online portal Interactive learning
Online portal

Interactive learning

After hours support
After-hours

support

Total units to study
12 topics

to study

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There are 12 topics in this course:

  1. Introduction to Small Businesses
    • Nature and success factors
    • Primary, Secondary or Tertiary business
    • Scope and Types of Businesses
    • Options –size, products, positioning, legal structure, specialisation, type of industry
    • What makes it a “small” business
    • Key Success factors –entrepreneurship, market niche, information, reputation, flexibility
    • Understanding Risk of Failure
    • Set task
    • Assignment
  2. The World of Business
    • Business structures –sole trader, partnership, companies (public and proprietary)
    • Advantages and disadvantages of different types of ownership
    • Small Business and the Law
    • Importance of record keeping
    • Regulations affecting site and operations
    • Components of a legal system –lawmakers, interpreters, enforcers, administrators, advisors
    • Common law rights and obligations
    • Protection of Consumers
    • Trade practices, trademarks, brands, business, IP.
    • Business Registration
    • Employment Law –employment contracts
    • Business disputes –negotiation, arbitration, mediation, etc.
    • Contract Types –employment, lease, sale of goods or services, insurance, etc.
    • Prerequisites of a contract –what comprises a contract?
    • Taxation and small business
    • Insurance –private, property damage, life insurance, business insurances for risk management
    • Business Case Study
    • Set Tasks –researching local issues
    • Assignment
  3. Considering the Alternatives
    • Goods manufacturing, or services
    • Factors to consider -market niche, location, goodwill, personal factors, etc
    • Business terminology
    • Establishing a new small business
    • Considering options of buying into a franchise, buying an established business or starting up from nothing.
    • What to look for when buying an established business
    • Understanding franchising
    • Guidelines for starting something new
    • Assignment
  4. Understanding Marketing
    • Nature and scope of marketing
    • Purpose of Advertising
    • Managing the marketing process
    • The marketing concept
    • Marketing goals
    • Marketing plans
    • Strategic marketing planning
    • Marketing objectives and strategies
    • Target markets
    • Developing a marketing mix
    • Organising the Planning Process
    • Reviewing a Business Situation
    • Business Mission Statement
    • Establishing marketing objectives
    • Broadening geographical representation
    • Maximizing customer service
    • Developing strategies to achieve objectives
    • Increasing market share –geographical expansion, market penetration, price factors
    • Analyzing market opportunities –external influences and internal influences
    • General economic conditions
    • Government policies and regulations
    • Marketplace laws
    • International influences
    • Demographics
    • Technology
    • Changing Customer attitudes and values
    • Activity of competitors
    • Alternative marketing methods
    • Analyzing business resources, market share, product characteristics, advertising, price, innovation potential financial capacity.
    • Selecting Target markets
    • Mass marketing, niche marketing, differentiated marketing, etc
    • Physical basis for market segmentation
    • Behavioural basis for market segmentation
    • Developing the Marketing Mix
    • Branding and packaging
    • Understanding the price element
    • Pricing methods
    • Understanding the promotion element
    • Public relations, advertising, sales
    • Distribution
    • Product life cycle
    • Analyzing costs and benefits
    • Managing a marketing plan
    • Structuring advertising or promotions
    • Publicity Marketing
    • Set task
    • Assignment
  5. Planning
    • Scope and nature of planning
    • Developing a business plan
    • The planning process
    • Checklist for a business plan
    • Market research
    • Business plan pro forma –a template for you to follow for creating a very detailed business plan
  6. Record Keeping and Bookkeeping
    • What records are essential?
    • The simplest approach to financial bookkeeping
    • The value of financial records
    • Source documents
    • Cash book
    • Credit sales and credit purchases
    • Bank reconciliation
    • Petty Cash
    • The Balance Sheet
    • Classification of the balance sheet
    • Working capital
    • Profit and loss statement
    • Preparing a profit and loss statement
    • The link between profit and the balance sheet
    • Assignment
  7. Sales Methods
    • Personal Selling
    • Rules of Selling
    • Types of Selling
    • Types of customers
    • The Salesperson -characteristics and knowledge needed
    • Using the telephone
    • Set task
    • Assignment
  8. Budgeting
    • Scope and nature of budgets
    • Types of budgets
    • Assignment
  9. Developing a 12 month Business Plan
    • Planning for manpower needs
    • Planning where to work from initially (eg. home, leased or purchased property)
    • You will create a simple plan within the following framework, submit, and recive feedback from our academic staff on what you propose.
    • Description of the Business
    • Motives for Entering Business
    • The Opportunity and Strategy
    • The Target Market
    • Relevant Experience and Skills
    • Financial Assistance Required
    • Financial Projections
    • Financial Summary
  10. Implementing a Business Plan
    • This lesson considers how the plan you developed might be implemented.
    • Consider who is going to do the work: how will you manage to get things implemented
    • Motivating employees
    • Delegating work tasks
    • Assignment
  11. Reviewing Progress in a New Business
    • Monitoring performance
    • Evaluating Performance
    • Modifying performance
    • Assignment
  12. Improving Profitability
    • How can profits be increased
    • Business expansion and sources of finance
    • Overdraft facility
    • Equity Credit
    • Fully Drawn Advances / Term Loans
    • Bills of Exchange
    • Leasing
    • Inventory Financing
    • Sources of Funds
    • Information required when sourcing funds
    • Good Management Practices
    • Set Task
    • Assignment

  • Discuss the nature of small business and the skills required to run one successfully.
  • Explain the legal requirements, restrictions and the costs of running a small business.
  • Describe the different aspects and considerations associated with starting a new or buying an existing business.
  • Explain the marketing process.
  • Explain the importance of planning in the running of a successful business.
  • Explain the importance of record keeping and the principles of bookkeeping.
  • Determine sales and promotions strategies in small business.
  • Explain the importance of budgets.
  • Develop a business plan.
  • Implement a business plan.
  • Identify factors that affect profitability.

Entry Education’s Small Business course will help you:

  • Understand the legal requirements and costs involved with starting a small business
  • Start and register your own business
  • Refine your business idea to match a target market
  • Develop an effective business plan outlining the essential aspects of a business, such as marketing, accounting, and sales
  • Gain critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate the performance of a business
  • Understand the importance of networking and find opportunities to make the right connections
  • Learn strategies to increase your business’s ability to be profitable

The Small Business course will take around 100 hours to complete. The course topics are structured in an easy-to-understand sequence and can be completed at your own pace. There are no due dates, meaning that there’s no pressure to finish learning — you can take as much or as little time as you need to gain the confidence and skills to start your own business.

There are no prerequisites or study requirements for this course. The Small Business course is designed to help anyone looking to start a business of their own, not just for those who work in real estate or those who already have business knowledge. Learning topics in this course are structured for beginners to make the knowledge easy to digest.

You can start learning as soon as you are ready. Shortly after making payment, you’ll receive access to our online learning platform where you can progress through each topic at your own pace.

We have a team of trainers that provide after-hours support throughout the duration of the course. If you have any questions or clarification regarding the course material, our trainers will be available to help via a direct messaging system.

Course to start your own small business

Starting your own business is an exciting venture that requires significant investments in terms of finances, time, and effort. While pouring more resources into a business can help it stay afloat, it’s not a sustainable approach. The key to achieving profitability lies in planning ahead.

Needless to say, starting and running a small business is not easy, and it’s important to know how to manage the opportunities and risks that come along the way. Getting the right guidance to avoid common pitfalls and apply best practices can set you on the right track towards profitability and success!

Study delivery method:

Entry Education offers the Starting a Small Business course as:
  • self-paced online course ($395)

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Fully online course for starting a small business

The market for small businesses is extremely competitive, and having an innovative business idea is not enough. Implementing the right business plan and strategy plays a big part in how profitable the business will be. When you start a business, you’ll be up against other competitors who may already have years of experience running a business.

Investing in the Small Business Course can get you to the same level as your competitors by preparing you for the challenges of starting and operating your own small business. Some of the common pitfalls that small business owners often fall prey to include:

  • Not taking the time to build a business plan for growth
  • Expanding too quickly, resulting in overspending
  • Not knowing how to hire or manage an effective team
  • Failing to identify clear signs of financial risk
  • Having an ineffective marketing strategy

Many of these issues can be avoided by being aware of them and knowing how to address them beforehand. Our Small Business course will cover best practices that you can apply to give your business the best chance of success. Expect to learn how to build relationships with your customers, prepare profit and loss statements, and apply for additional financing when required.