Growth is crucial for long term survival of any business with a competing edge in the market; this however is not an easy path for many startup founders as some startups thrive after inception, others take time to take off while others completely fail due to varied reasons depending on the nature of business. Some of the key ingredients for a startup to flourish include: responding to changing market needs, cordial working business partnerships, launch of new products and diversification of products which widens the customer base hence an increase in sales.
Tough economic conditions, reluctance to respond to changing marketing needs, conflicts arising from partnerships, poor business models and market penetration strategy are some of the reasons which hinder growth of some startups.
The VC4A Startup Academy has e-courses tailored specifically for different startup needs depending on their stages of growth. The courses are developed and designed with inputs from key experts in the industry who have experience in supporting startups. These experts are available on the platform and one can contact them directly for support or further guidance.
Are you ready to grow your business? Start the journey today by enrolling for the “Grow your business” course which targets startup founders who are looking forward to increasing traction for their products or services and would like to expand their business operations.
The course is well structured and is offered in four modules with in-depth content that will help startup founders transition smoothly to the next level of their business growth. The course is available online for free and anyone across the globe can sign up and complete it at their own convenient time.
The first module introduces startup founders to key critical insights necessary for startup growth such as how to make sound business development decisions, what to consider before expanding to other geographic markets and the does and don’ts when thinking of product diversification.
Business models are key for any startup, they help to define the structure of the business, market needs, target clients, short and long term vision for the business as well as legal and ethical issues that every business must address. This is covered in depth in the second module for startup founders to gain adequate knowledge on different business models, a visual illustration of the business model canvas and reasons why some startups fail while others succeed.
The third module is the most interesting! Here startup founders learn techniques on building successful corporate partnerships which will help enhance their expertise and knowledge in their field of operation. In addition, the module has a unit to guide startup founders on how to do B2B sales and the importance of mentors and advisers while expanding their businesses.
The fourth module is all about success! How can startup founders design a chart curve for success and tips for building traction to the business.
These course modules make learning easy and engaging and are offered in form theoretical breakdowns which involves an introduction to key concepts in business; Videos of leading business professionals, entrepreneurs and investors, sharing expert advice, quizzes to test your understanding of the course modules and useful learning materials for further reference. A certificate will be issued after successful completion of the course.
Other courses available at VC4A Startup Academy include: ‘Start your business’ course for founders who are in the process of developing ideas and testing if their products are market fit while ‘Finance your business’ course is for entrepreneurs who are looking to raise external capital. Additionally, “legal business” course is aimed at founders who want to learn more about the legal implications of setting up their business and the funding concepts for a first round of investment.
Written by Sharon Anyango
