THE Mission43 Entrepreneur Course
Mission43 partners with the College of Western Idaho to offer the Entrepreneur Course for members who have a business or nonprofit idea, or already have a business, to take proven concepts and turn them into actionable steps.
The course is fast-paced, interactive, and will help you challenge yourself. The instructors aren't teaching theory, they are experienced entrepreneurs who take you step-by-step in a way that makes sense. At the conclusion of the twelve sessions, you'll be prepped to pitch your idea in front of your peers and community members, so that you’re ready to pitch in competitions like Boise Entrepreneur Week Military Track.
Whether you already have a business, or just an idea, we encourage you to apply below and be part of our next Mission43 Entrepreneur Course cohort!
THE SCHOLARSHIP
Mission43 members who are selected for this program will automatically receive a $1000 scholarship that covers the full cost of the course. We are looking for those who are excited to challenge themselves, test their ideas, and actively contribute to the rest of the cohort.
UPCOMING Course details
We typically offer two sessions a year; spring and fall. Both sessions of cohort participants will be invited to participate in the Mission43 track of Boise Entrepreneur Week events.
Dates
Virtual: Tuesdays & Thursdays, February 5th - March 7th, 2024
In-person (Boise): Tuesdays & Thursdays, August 27th - September 26th, 2024
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Cost: Accepted Mission43 members will be selected and receive a $1000 scholarship to cover the full cost of this course.
Questions: education@mission43.org
Apply Now
Be your own boss
COURSE OUTLINE
Lesson: The “Lean Startup” Methodology
There is a strong distinction between “Can you build this product?” and “Should you build this product?” We’ll kick off the course teaching you about the Lean Startup approach which focuses on the latter. It’s not a rigid business plan, it’s a fast paced process of building, measuring, and learning to help you accelerate your idea.
Lesson: Value Proposition
What problem needs to be solved? This question is the foundation of why you want to be an entrepreneur. This early phase of the course is always fun as it is the first time many of us have had to articulate our idea to a group of relative strangers. We love the interaction, feedback, and support as we learn about each other’s business and begin to grow as an M43 Entrepreneurs Cohort.
Lesson: The Customer Discovery Process
You don’t want to spend a ton of money or time bringing your product to market without ever talking to a potential customer. In this lesson we’ll discover why interviewing potential customers is crucial to your value proposition, best practices for customer discovery, and then you’ll begin to practice interviewing potential customers and asking the appropriate questions.
LESSON: Your MVP or Minimum Viable Product
After you know what problem needs to be solved (your value proposition), we’ll jump into learning exactly what an MVP is and then you’ll develop your own MVP. You’ll learn and then create measurable goals using the Test Card as you get more comfortable with the Lean Startup Methodology.
Lesson: How to Pivot
The Lean Startup is all about building-measuring-learning and sometimes that requires a pivot. We’ll define what this is, learn about successful business pivots, and you’ll be prepared and comfortable if and when that is required!
LESSON: The Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas is comprised of nine sections and helps you understand your business in a straightforward and structured way. In this lesson, you’ll learn about all those sections and apply it to your business.
FLEX LESSON
Based on the needs and interests of your cohort, the expert facilitators will conduct a special-topics lesson (often more advanced in nature) supported by a subject-matter-expert guest speaker. This can include things like marketing tactics or how to get investors.
Pitch Preparation
This is an opportunity to get comfortable with presenting your business in public. Cohort members that are prepared to launch, or have launched their business and are looking for growth opportunity, will have the chance to participate in a Mission43 track in Boise Entrepreneur Week events.
CONTINUED SUPPORT…
If you are showing the can-do drive and things are accelerating quickly with your business, the Mission43 and CWI teams will stay in your corner to help you succeed. Whether it be connecting you with the right people, pitching your business to new audiences, or just providing the motivation to keep on going, we’re here to help.
Mission43 members that participate in the Entrepreneur Course will be able to earn college credit if enrolled, or enrolling in, a degree seeking program at the College of Western Idaho.
We are proud to have multiple businesses start in the Mission43 Entrepreneur Course. These veterans and military spouses showed up with just an idea, and are now profitable and growing Idaho businesses. You could be the next one…sign-up today so we can help you get started on this journey!
