Aspiring entrepreneurs and growth-minded startup founders now have access to a new online resource from Startup Virginia.
The Richmond business incubator recently launched an online Entrepreneur Certificate Course that covers the basics of creating and growing a business. Topics range from coming up with an idea to crunching the numbers to making a pitch to investors.
“Our hope is that it’s seen as a very accessible way to give you a glimpse of what is needed to start a business,” said Executive Director Richard Wintsch.
The content covers familiar ground for Startup Virginia. Founded in 2016, the organization held four in-person entrepreneurship certificate courses, launching several entrepreneurs, Wintsch said. Plans to offer the course a fifth time were underway when Covid-19 forced programming to shut down.
With in-person instruction on hiatus, his team got to work creating a virtual course. Wintsch said an online option was already on the to-do list since not everyone could attend a nine-week, Tuesday morning course in person.
“The pandemic kind of accelerated our plans,” he said.
The virtual course is self-paced and features video talks by industry experts experienced at working with startups, including Ace Callwood, founder of Equal Sons brand and communications firm; Liz Doerr, partner at Sandbox; and John Polk, president of John Polk & Associates.
The classes included in the certificate are: Define Your Idea, Establish Your Value Proposition, Validate Your Customer Acquisition Strategy, Create Your Marketing Strategy, Leverage the Startup Sales Playbook, Understand Startup Finance, Develop Legal Strategies, Discover Funding Options in Virginia and Design Your Pitch Deck.
Brief “What You’ll Learn” videos are accessible to anyone and provide an overview of what each class covers.
While many entrepreneurship courses veer toward the academic, Startup Virginia’s offers practical, real-life advice used by successful startup ventures, Wintsch said. The lessons can resonate with anyone kicking around a business idea to pursue or scale.
The certificate course costs $395. Coupon code ECC100 reduces the cost by $100 through Dec. 1. Scholarships are also available to anyone needing financial aid.
Upon completion, participants receive a certificate they can display on their LinkedIn page. Individuals who purchase the course will have lifetime access to the full instructional materials and any updates.
“Our hope is to keep on growing it,” Wintsch said.