Description
So you want to be an entrepreneur? Starting your own business can be an exhilarating experience, but also one fraught with difficulty and frustration.
CREATE YOUR VENTURE
Certificate of competence in entrepreneurship and new venture creation
So you want to be an entrepreneur? Starting your own business can be an exhilarating
experience, but also one fraught with difficulty and frustration. Developing the right kind of
skills before you create a business as well as knowing where to go for help once you have,
can make the difference between start-up and shut-down.
The Centre for Entrepreneurship at Wits Business School is dedicated to nurturing
entrepreneurship education, support and research in Africa, with the goal of becoming the
centre of excellence for entrepreneurial development on the continent.
Programme objectives
The overall objective of the Create your
Business programme is to:
? Equip those with entrepreneurial desire
to become ‘job creators’ rather than ‘job
seekers’
? Prepare individuals to start a new
venture or apply entrepreneurial thinking
in an organisation by developing a
balance of appropriate skills and
emotional competencies.
By the end of the course, new entrepreneurs
participating in Create Your Venture will:
? Know how to build a business on the
basis of their own strengths
? Understand how to apply creativity and
innovation in starting a new business or
within an existing business
? Know how to apply essential business
principles to establish and run a new
business successfully
? Have acquired people management
skills and leadership competencies
? Built a valuable network of other
entrepreneurs and resource holders
? Learned ways of dealing with change
and planning for the future
? Have experienced ‘learning by doing’
through fieldwork opportunities to set up
and run a new enterprise.
Programme graduates will have access to a
range of advisory and support services
offered by the Centre for Entrepreneurship
once they have completed the programme
Who should attend?
Potential entrepreneurs from all disciplines
who want to start their own business or
enhance their entrepreneurial approach in their
own organisation will gain most from the
programme, as will new graduates starting
their careers or looking for employment.
Individuals who believe innovation will shape
their future careers as employees will also
benefit.
Programme structure
The programme will be offered in modules,
involving a minimum of 120 contact hours, with
independent study, assignments and fieldwork
during the programme. Lectures and class
discussions will be accompanied by the
development of practical skills for innovation,
negotiation, problem-solving and decision-
making, leadership and strategy formulation.
The programme will be enriched through case
studies, guest entrepreneurs, individual
assignments and syndicate-based action
learning projects.
Programme content
1. Introduction to entrepreneurship and
innovation
This module offers insights into the
entrepreneurial mindset by examining case
studies of real-life entrepreneurial success
stories and profiling the attributes of a
successful entrepreneur. Participants learn
techniques such as full-brain thinking to
enhance their creativity and increase their
understanding of the process of innovation.
A special focus of the module is the
identification and evaluation of high-potential
opportunities.
2. Business essentials for entrepreneurs
At start-up, business knowledge is an
essential requirement for success. The
entrepreneur must play multiple roles and
needs a broad base of skills to set up and
run the business effectively. This module
equips participants to develop a strategy
and business model for start-up, based on
thorough analysis of customer needs and
the competitive environment. Participants
are introduced to methods for low-cost, high-
technology marketing of the new business,
with emphasis on developing and
maintaining customer relationships. New
methods of managing operations and
technology are considered along with tried
and tested processes. Few start-ups can
succeed without the entrepreneur having a
deep understanding of financial issues, so
the module pays particular attention to
topics such as: drawing up the budget;
accounting and financial management; risk
management and raising finance. Need-to-
know business and labour law and corporate
governance complete the module.
3. People management and leadership
Self-awareness and personal mastery are
important precursors to establishing the right
start-up team. Entrepreneurs need skills in
group dynamics, diversity management and
talent management to find (and keep) the
right people. This module explores
entrepreneurial leadership and offers
systems and techniques for managing the
performance of others. The effective
entrepreneur must also negotiate with and
manage personal and business relationships
with a wide network of stakeholders, so
negotiation and networking skills are
incorporated in this module.
4. The future business
By definition, creating a business means
thinking about and planning for the future.
This module considers trends in the
business, operating and technology
environment and introduces participants to
advanced techniques for leading in a rapidly
changing world. Particular attention is paid to
formulating the business plan and applying
performance metrics and benchmarking to the
venture creation process. These help the
entrepreneur detect early signs of problems
typically encountered in new business
development and implement appropriate
remedial or turnaround strategies.
Workload
In addition to part-time work and syndicate
meetings, students will be expected to
complete assignments and prepare for
classroom sessions as required by the lecturer
or course leader. Students will also be
required to devote additional hours to
syndicate work, assignments and classroom
presentations.
Assessment
Competence will be assessed through exams,
individual assignments, syndicate assignments
including the development of a business plan
focused on a specific industry, fieldwork and
an action learning project.
Applications
An application form is available from the
Centre for Entrepreneurship reception.
Preference will be given to individuals with
previous academic or professional
qualifications from any discipline but this will
not be a prerequisite if experience and
motivational criteria are met. Participants will
be selected on the basis of their
entrepreneurial interest and employment
status. Sponsorship or motivation by an
employer or recommending body will be
considered in selecting participants.
Course fees
The course fee includes all lectures, notes,
course materials and refreshments provided
during the programme. A limited number of
bursaries are available for high-performing
students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Enquiries
Programme Manager
Sibongile Msimanga
Telephone: +2711 717 3833
Email: [email protected]
doc_176169963.pdf
So you want to be an entrepreneur? Starting your own business can be an exhilarating experience, but also one fraught with difficulty and frustration.
CREATE YOUR VENTURE
Certificate of competence in entrepreneurship and new venture creation
So you want to be an entrepreneur? Starting your own business can be an exhilarating
experience, but also one fraught with difficulty and frustration. Developing the right kind of
skills before you create a business as well as knowing where to go for help once you have,
can make the difference between start-up and shut-down.
The Centre for Entrepreneurship at Wits Business School is dedicated to nurturing
entrepreneurship education, support and research in Africa, with the goal of becoming the
centre of excellence for entrepreneurial development on the continent.
Programme objectives
The overall objective of the Create your
Business programme is to:
? Equip those with entrepreneurial desire
to become ‘job creators’ rather than ‘job
seekers’
? Prepare individuals to start a new
venture or apply entrepreneurial thinking
in an organisation by developing a
balance of appropriate skills and
emotional competencies.
By the end of the course, new entrepreneurs
participating in Create Your Venture will:
? Know how to build a business on the
basis of their own strengths
? Understand how to apply creativity and
innovation in starting a new business or
within an existing business
? Know how to apply essential business
principles to establish and run a new
business successfully
? Have acquired people management
skills and leadership competencies
? Built a valuable network of other
entrepreneurs and resource holders
? Learned ways of dealing with change
and planning for the future
? Have experienced ‘learning by doing’
through fieldwork opportunities to set up
and run a new enterprise.
Programme graduates will have access to a
range of advisory and support services
offered by the Centre for Entrepreneurship
once they have completed the programme
Who should attend?
Potential entrepreneurs from all disciplines
who want to start their own business or
enhance their entrepreneurial approach in their
own organisation will gain most from the
programme, as will new graduates starting
their careers or looking for employment.
Individuals who believe innovation will shape
their future careers as employees will also
benefit.
Programme structure
The programme will be offered in modules,
involving a minimum of 120 contact hours, with
independent study, assignments and fieldwork
during the programme. Lectures and class
discussions will be accompanied by the
development of practical skills for innovation,
negotiation, problem-solving and decision-
making, leadership and strategy formulation.
The programme will be enriched through case
studies, guest entrepreneurs, individual
assignments and syndicate-based action
learning projects.
Programme content
1. Introduction to entrepreneurship and
innovation
This module offers insights into the
entrepreneurial mindset by examining case
studies of real-life entrepreneurial success
stories and profiling the attributes of a
successful entrepreneur. Participants learn
techniques such as full-brain thinking to
enhance their creativity and increase their
understanding of the process of innovation.
A special focus of the module is the
identification and evaluation of high-potential
opportunities.
2. Business essentials for entrepreneurs
At start-up, business knowledge is an
essential requirement for success. The
entrepreneur must play multiple roles and
needs a broad base of skills to set up and
run the business effectively. This module
equips participants to develop a strategy
and business model for start-up, based on
thorough analysis of customer needs and
the competitive environment. Participants
are introduced to methods for low-cost, high-
technology marketing of the new business,
with emphasis on developing and
maintaining customer relationships. New
methods of managing operations and
technology are considered along with tried
and tested processes. Few start-ups can
succeed without the entrepreneur having a
deep understanding of financial issues, so
the module pays particular attention to
topics such as: drawing up the budget;
accounting and financial management; risk
management and raising finance. Need-to-
know business and labour law and corporate
governance complete the module.
3. People management and leadership
Self-awareness and personal mastery are
important precursors to establishing the right
start-up team. Entrepreneurs need skills in
group dynamics, diversity management and
talent management to find (and keep) the
right people. This module explores
entrepreneurial leadership and offers
systems and techniques for managing the
performance of others. The effective
entrepreneur must also negotiate with and
manage personal and business relationships
with a wide network of stakeholders, so
negotiation and networking skills are
incorporated in this module.
4. The future business
By definition, creating a business means
thinking about and planning for the future.
This module considers trends in the
business, operating and technology
environment and introduces participants to
advanced techniques for leading in a rapidly
changing world. Particular attention is paid to
formulating the business plan and applying
performance metrics and benchmarking to the
venture creation process. These help the
entrepreneur detect early signs of problems
typically encountered in new business
development and implement appropriate
remedial or turnaround strategies.
Workload
In addition to part-time work and syndicate
meetings, students will be expected to
complete assignments and prepare for
classroom sessions as required by the lecturer
or course leader. Students will also be
required to devote additional hours to
syndicate work, assignments and classroom
presentations.
Assessment
Competence will be assessed through exams,
individual assignments, syndicate assignments
including the development of a business plan
focused on a specific industry, fieldwork and
an action learning project.
Applications
An application form is available from the
Centre for Entrepreneurship reception.
Preference will be given to individuals with
previous academic or professional
qualifications from any discipline but this will
not be a prerequisite if experience and
motivational criteria are met. Participants will
be selected on the basis of their
entrepreneurial interest and employment
status. Sponsorship or motivation by an
employer or recommending body will be
considered in selecting participants.
Course fees
The course fee includes all lectures, notes,
course materials and refreshments provided
during the programme. A limited number of
bursaries are available for high-performing
students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Enquiries
Programme Manager
Sibongile Msimanga
Telephone: +2711 717 3833
Email: [email protected]
doc_176169963.pdf