Session 1

Tue, 3rd May

Introduction to Enterprise
& Self-Employment

- Being an Entrepreneur: The Road to Self-employment
- The realities of starting and running a business in a competitive
  environment
- The reasons for small business success and failure
- Trends for 2015/16
- The importance of networking for success

Session 2

Tue, 10th May

Preparing a Business Plan

- Why Develop a Business Plan?
- Key Elements of a Business Plan
- Completing a Business Plan: Pitfalls to avoid
- Understand the purpose of business planning
- Setting Goals & Objectives for a business plan
- Practising the Pitch
- Business Plan templates

Session 3

Tue, 17th May

Legal Issues for Your Start-Up

- Guide to Choosing a Legal Structure
  [Sole Trader, Partnership or Company]
- Registering a business name
- Employment Law: Quick Guide
- Understand insurance & tax implications for a small business
  (incl. VAT, PRSI, PAYE)
- Purpose of opening a business account and bank reconciliation

Session 4

Tue, 24th May

Marketing Your Small Business

- The importance of the Marketing Mix for a small business
- Markets Size & Trends: How my Product/Service meets the
  needs of customers
- Creating a Value Proposition
- Profiling Target Customers
- Promoting your business on a small budget
- Marketing Online

Session 5

Tue, 31st May

Finance

- Introduction to Small Business Finance
- Identifying different types of business costs
  (fixed, direct, capital and variable)
- Establishing start up/ initial running costs
- Determining the overheads in your business
- Different methods of pricing
- How to accurately cost a product or service
- Developing a lean business model

Session 6

Tue, 7th June

Taxation & Funding Sources

- How to plan capital requirements
- What are the sources and uses of funding
- Examination of personal, private & corporate equity
- Financial ratios for business
- The importance of credit control
- Maximize profitability through optimum liquidity

Session 7

Tue, 14th June

Basic Bookkeeping

- Prime books of entry
- Preparing a trial balance
- Preparing a projected Profit & Loss Account
- Preparing a projected Cashflow
- Preparing a projected Balance Sheet

Session 8

Tue, 21st June

Sales

- The sales process: How & What am I selling
- Developing a sales approach
- Identifying potential customers
- Minimizing time-wasting sales activity
- Providing exception customer care