Setting up a Business Training Session Plan for Workbookpage 1 of 27

Setting up a business – Training Session Plan for WorkbookPage 1 of 27

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Setting up a business

Training Session Plan

6 sessions of 2 hours each

Version 2.1

Setting up a business – Training Session Plan for WorkbookPage 1 of 27

Session & Time / Who? / What? / Objective / Requirements / Process
Getting Ready
Beforehand / Planning the course / To arrange a course including:

Venue
Facilitators
Mentors
Course promotion
Course fee

/ People interested in running a course
Workbook copies / People interested in running a course should meet and decide on:
Course dates – it is 6 sessions of 2 hours each, which is ideally run over 6 weeks (to allow participants time to do research between sessions), but it could also be run intensively over a weekend.
Venue – could be run with several groups (of around 6 participants) in a larger venue, or as a smaller course of one or two groups in homes. Needs table(s) & chairs. You may like to provide refreshments.
Course Facilitators – these people will present the course material. They do not need to be business people themselves as the material is fully provided and explained. Having several facilitators keeps a good variety in the presentation.
Mentors – these people sit with participants in their groups, and assist with the exercises where needed. It is best if they are experienced in business, and ideally can continue to support the participants after the course to some degree.
Promotion of the course – decide on your methods - emails, flyers, announcements, web page etc. Set up your application process – eg will you do this online or using paper application forms?
Course Fee - you may choose to charge a fee for the course, to cover providing the course workbooks, venue hire, refreshments etc. How will you collect this in advance, or will you allow people to pay on the day?
Beforehand / Preparation for Course Facilitators and Group Mentors / To ensure that everyone is fully prepared to deliver the training material
Sections of each session allocated amongst facilitators / This Training Session Plan
Workbook
Slide pack / Ensure everyone has read the workbook, understands all the material in it, and can answer questions from participants on it.
Course Facilitators should work through this Session Plan, deciding who will deliver which section. They should ensure they fully understand how they will deliver their sections, and the slides or flipcharts they will use. Print off a Training Session Plan for each Facilitator with allocations. You may also wish to print off copies of the slides for annotation.
[Tech tip for facilitators – slides are numbered in this guide, and on the bottom right of each slide – to navigate quickly during presentation, you can type the slide number and press enter, which will jump to that numbered slide. In later versions of Powerpoint, if you press F5 it starts the slide show from the beginning, but if you want to start from a later slide - in normal view, select the slide you want on the left, and press Shift and F5 and it starts the slide show from that point.]
Beforehand / Preparation of Participant packs / To prepare packs of material for each participant including

Printed course timetables
Name badges

/ Numbers of participants booked
Workbooks, timetables, notepads, pens, name badges, and folders for everyone
Slide pack
Certificates (for session 6)
Feedback forms / Produce a timetable for the course, including the day and time each session will be held (based on the template provided).
Prepare packs for each participant – a folder containing their copy of the Workbook, a notebook and pen, the timetable for the course and a name badge.
Facilitators and Mentors should also have name badges prepared.
Add the names of anyone involved in delivering the course to Slide 3 – Introductions.
Print off the posters for the training venue.
You may wish to prepare completion Certificates with participants names on to give out at the end of the course in session 6.
You may wish/need to prepare feedback forms for each session.
On the day / Preparation of the venue / To set up the venue for the group / Venue access before the course
Tables & chairs
Flipchart & stand, flipchart pens, and blutack to stick sheets up
Projector screen (or blank wall)
Projector
Laptop
Cable to connect laptop to projector
Laptop power cable
Power extension lead if necessary
Catering if any refreshments are being served / Prepare the room by laying out tables and chairs for groups of 6-8 participants, so that everyone can comfortably see the projector screen, the flipchart, and the facilitators as they present the course. It is best if groups have an even number of people as some of the exercises are carried out in pairs.
If there are going to be multiple groups, try to arrange the room so that each group can work together, whilst minimising the disturbance from the other groups.
Make sure that you are familiar with any arrangements to evacuate the building in case of fire, and the location of toilets so that you can advise people of where to go.
Set up the flipchart, the projector screen and projector. It is helpful if there is somewhere to stick completed flipchart pages up to refer back to – such as a wall where blutak is allowed, or spare flipchart stands, the back of a door, or some other creative solution such as string and pegs.
Make any arrangements necessary for refreshments, and clearing away at the end.
Set out the packs you have prepared, and the name badges.
Stick up the posters for the venue, adding arrows and room names as appropriate.
Session 1: Your business ideas
1.1 - 10 min
(0:00-0:10)
[you may need a bit more time here if filling in any forms – it should be possible to catch up the time] / Welcome & introduction to the course / To settle everyone into the course, and to establish expectations on how people will get the most out of the course.
To introduce the Arthur Rank centre and the Christian content of the course. / Slide 1 – Welcome
Slide 2 - Practicalities
Slide 3 - Introductions
Slide 4 – What this course is
Slide 5 – Objectives of this course / Welcome everybody to the course and thank them for coming.
Explain where fire exits and toilets are, and the timings of the course.
Explain mobile phone policy.
If you have any forms you must complete (e.g. as a condition of the course funding), hand them out now and help people complete them if there are any unclear questions.
Introduce the Facilitators, and the Arthur Rank Centre who produced this course (mention here the Christian reflections within the course marked with a cross).
Explain what the course is.
Go through the objectives of this course.
1.2 – 5 min
(0:10-0:15) / Making groups
[skip this if only one group] / To divide participants into groups of 6-8 with a mixture of business experience / Slide 6 – Organise yourselves into groups / Explain that the training involves some group work, and it works best if groups have a mixture of experience in them.
Ask people to divide themselves into the four corners of the room based on their experience of business.
Then reorganise them into smaller mixed groups by picking out people from each of the corners, so that each group has a range of people who already run a small business to people who have never set up a business before.
1.3 – 10 min
(0:15-0:25) / Introductions within groups
[combine with 1.4 if one group] / For people to meet others in their group / Slide 7 – Introduce yourselves / Explain that they will stay in these groups for the course.
Ask the people in each group to introduce themselves to one another, by giving their name, what they hope to get out of this course, and their biggest worry about setting up in business.
1.4 – 5 min
(0:25-0:30) / Hopes and concerns / To understand exactly what people want out of the training in their own words.
To reassure any with concerns and create a hopeful, enthusiastic group. / Slide 8 – Flipchart exercise
Flipchart – headed ‘Hopes and Concerns’ / Ask each group to tell you one or two of their main hopes for the course, and also one or two of their main concerns.
Write these up clearly on the flipchart.
Stick the finished sheet up on the wall,
We will all work towards achieving the hopes and minimising the concerns.
[you may want to keep the Hopes and Concerns flipchart page, or take a photo of it, so that you can revisit them at the end of the course]
1.6 – 5 min
(0:30-0:35) / Course programme / To ensure a full understanding of when each session will be and what it will cover
To encourage commitment to the work. / Slide 9 – Course programme
Printed course programmes in people’s folders / Explain how the course will work - when each session is, its timings, and what it will cover (this is detailed on the course programme in people’s packs).
Emphasise the importance of committing to do the homework research and exercises to the success of the course.
1.7 – 10 min
(0:35-0:45) / Successful vs failed businesses / To start to think through what makes businesses successful or failures.
To not be disheartened if they have had a failed business already.
To realise that successful entrepreneurs often have several failed businesses behind them. / Slide 10 – Flipchart exercise
Flipchart – headed Success & Failure / Now we’ll do Ex 1 in the workbook together, as a warm-up / brainstorming exercise.
Put the first column heading ‘Business’ on a flipchart (leave space for two more columns). Ask ‘Who do you know who has a successful business?’ – ideally someone they know personally but could be someone famous, or a local business they like. Write names on the flipchart.
Write the second column heading ‘Why’, and ask each participant who responded ‘Why is their business successful?’ and write up a few answers.
Ask ‘Was it their first idea?’ and write ‘first’ or ‘later’.
Draw a line under those answers, and change pen colour to indicate we are now discussing failed businesses.
Ask ‘Does anyone know anyone who has failed in a business? – What was the business? Why did they fail?’ and write a few up.
Ask ‘Do you know what have they learnt about making a successful business?’ and write any points up.
Explain that successful entrepreneurs often have several failed businesses behind them.
1.8 – 5 min
(0:45-0:50) / What is a business? / To start to think about what is important in a successful business, and what they therefore need to work toward. / Slide 11 – How business works - diagram of biscuit-maker’s business (from page 4 of workbook) / Put up Slide 11 - the biscuit-maker’s business
Ask the group to explain bits of what it means – what makes each loop important?
Are we are looking for more or less money in that loop?
What are the main influences on the amount of that money?
Ask the group if they can relate any reasons for success or failure in Ex 1 to this diagram – draw out a few examples.
1.9 – 10 min
(0:50-1:00) / Products and services / To start thinking about different types of businesses by using the subtypes Products and Services.
To get enthusiastic about how many good business ideas there are out there. / Slide 12 – Flipchart exercise
Flipchart - headed Products and Services / To be successful, a business has to do something that someone else wants enough that they are willing to pay enough for it.
Explain ‘products’ and ‘services’ (from page 7)
Ask for examples of products and write them up.
Ask for examples of services and write them up.
Allow participants to copy the examples into Ex 2 in their workbooks.
1.10 – 15 min
(1:00-1:15) / What is YOUR business? Part 1 – what do people need? / To generate a list of needs
To realise that people need a huge number of things. / Slide 13 – What do people need? (diagram of biscuit-maker’s business with loop indicated)
Slide 14 – Workbook Ex 3 – What people need. / We are now going to generate a list of business ideas. A lot of participants will already have a business idea they want to work through, but everyone should have a go at all the exercises, even if they already have an idea - for their next business idea, to have ideas to compare, and to learn the method so they can help others come up with ideas.
Put up Slide 13 – Biscuit-maker’s diagram.
We will start with the lower right-hand loop – people will only pay for something they want or need, so let’s start by thinking about what things different types of people need.
Turn to Ex 3 in their workbooks, read the paragraph next to Ex 3, and have a go at generating as many needs as possible (either in the workbook or in their notepad).
When time is up, ask them to leave enough room to have filled 2 pages worth, as their first bit of homework.
1.11 – 10 min
(1:15-1:25) / Charities and social enterprises / To realise there are options for helping people who can’t pay and to point participants to sources of information.
Awareness of different models. / Page 9 of workbook
Slide 15–What if people can’t pay for their needs? / Businesses are only successful if people are willing and able to pay enough for their products or services.
Explain several models to work with people who cannot pay enough, such as charities, business cross subsidisation, social enterprises, and cooperatives.
There is some info on page 9 of the workbook, and some references in the appendix to some excellent online resources.
This course will be useful for any organisation that trades (buys and sells anything).
1.12 – 10 min
(1:25-1:35) / What is YOUR business? Part 2 – what do I have the abilities and resources to do? / To generate a list of abilities and resources.
To realise that they can do a huge number of things. / Slide 16 – My abilities and resources (diagram of biscuit-maker’s business with ingredientsequipment loops indicated)
Slide 17 – Workbook Ex 4 – What do I have the abilities and resources to do? / Put up Slide 16 – biscuit-maker’s business
Point to the ingredients, and the equipment, and the biscuit-maker doing skilled work in the middle, and explain that we are moving on to these loops – which are our abilities and resources.
Explain abilities and resources (pg10) – what can you (or those working with you) do? And what have you got access to (or could borrow)? This could include things like access to a group of willing volunteers.
Give people 5 mins to have a go at Ex 4 using the five questions in the paragraph next to the box to stimulate thoughts.
1.13 – 20 min
(1:35-1:55) / What is YOUR business? Part 3 – new business idea generation / To generate a list of business ideas to choose from.
To expand our thinking on what we are able to do.
To further extend our lists of matches so that we have a wider choice about what we might to do. / Slide 18 – Business idea generation (Venn diagram from page 7)
Slide 19 – Workbook Ex 5 – New business ideas / Put up Slide 18 – Business idea generation.
Explain each circle in turn (slide is staggered) ‘what other people need me to do’, then ‘what I am able to do’, and of those ‘what I want to do’ – and where they intercept is a potential successful business - ‘kerching!’
Give people 10 minutes to compare the two lists they’ve made, to come up with some business ideas in Ex 5.
Ask participants to pair up with someone in their group, and spend 5 mins looking at each other’s lists of what they have the abilities and resources to tackle, to encourage one another, and see what else they might be able to think about doing and to extend their list in Ex 5.
1.14 – 2 min
(1:55-1:57) / Homework / Come up with a business idea to use for this course. / Slide 20 – Session 1 Homework
Ex 6 – Think about the choices you’ve made / Continue with exercises 3, 4 and 5 to generate a list of business ideas
Run their shortlist by their friends this week – do they need to meet up with them in the pub, or have someone over for coffee or dinner?
Complete Ex 6 – Think about the choices you’ve made.
Next week everyone will need to have one idea that they can use to work through on the course – even if they don’t end up actually doing it!
1:15 – 3 min / Feedback forms / Get participant feedback / Slide 21 - Feedback forms / Hand out feedback forms and ask people to complete them and hand them in on their way out.
After Session 1 / Facilitator feedback & clear up / Make any improvements necessary to the course. / Completed feedback forms / Facilitators should have a quick meeting after the session to review the feedback forms and agree any changes necessary for the next session.
Venue clear up
Session 2: Customers and competitors
2.1 – 5 min
(0:00-0:05) / Welcome back / To welcome people back and explain the agenda for this session / Slide 22 – Welcome back
Slide 23 – Session 1 homework was