“The Ramps” curriculum includes 16 topics of training for women entrepreneurs. There are eight knowledge topics or “Ramps” covering the typical entrepreneurship training elements which make the core elements of a business plan. Another eight topics are skill Ramps for women entrepreneurs. After successfully completing the 16 Ramps, participants are “members” and participate in the incubation program at much reduced rates.
Learn the balance between overselling yourself and undermining your accomplishments. Work on strength in language. Start by developing the basic tools to build your network: finish your executive bio, executive photo, and personal introduction. Later, apply self promotion to PR and Press and managing your board.
Learn the definition of scalable business model. Understand the benefits of scalable businesses. Define the model of your current business or develop a model for your envisioned venture. Meet women who scale. Participate in social networking projects with hundreds of women who scale. Present your model to leading experts.
Your networking will be one of most important aspects of your business success. Learn methods to build and expand your personal entrepreneurship and access to capital network. Learn skills to identify sponsors. Meet local and national leaders and build your own advisory board.
Learn techniques to recruit early-stage company teams, to lead and to overcome or avoid habits that hold women back. Learn from women who have managed teams at the highest levels of corporate America and at the earliest of early-stage scalable ventures.
Study aspects of negotiation, rhetorical techniques, common mistakes and gender differences. Learn methods to obtain better outcomes. Review advanced bartering techniques.
Learn methods to negotiate your future and your deal with your own venture. Review common mistakes specific to women. Learn how to enter and exit the CEO role. Review how proper management of your board, advisors and investors relates to self protection. Learn from women who have mastered self-protection.
Develop personal and business goals to grow a scalable company. Question your fears about thinking big. Review your attitudes about leadership, risk and your own capabilities. Develop a vision for your future and your business that is not limited by socialization to “think small”.
Learn basic techniques to pitch anything. You, your product, your company—when you communicate as an entrepreneur you are always pitching. What does your pitch need to say? Learn to pitch and receive feedback from leading experts.
Every scalable business has some form of intellectual property. Learn the basic types of intellectual property—patents aren’t the only game in town—for building your intellectual property plan, working with professionals and optimizing your company’s value. Learn what the entrepreneur needs to know about intellectual property to scale.
Learn what an entrepreneur needs to know about contracts. Work with legal professionals to develop a risk strategy and contracts “needs” list for your current or envisioned venture. Avoid common mistakes specific to women.
Understand the basic steps in the product development process. Study lean methods. Learn methods to review ideas and technologies for product readiness. Develop major milestones for product development. Learn from successful company leaders who have led diverse and successful product development projects.
Learn how to define your market and your customer—quantify the opportunity. Learn the techniques of customer discovery. Develop answers to crucial market research and customer discovery questions. Work with service providers. Present your market opportunity to experts and receive feed-back.
Develop and monetize your marketing plan. Learn social networking marketing techniques. Review successful lean methods. Develop your sales forecast. Develop a pricing strategy.
Learn techniques to build your organization plan to sustain a scalable product. Develop operational milestones and cost estimates. Learn from leading experts and receive one-on-one coaching.
Combine your product, customer, marketing and operations plans and develop an overall financial plan. Avoid mistakes and habits common to women. Learn how to project your financial plan. Present your plan to experts and receive feedback.
Combine the previous work into a business plan. Develop a strategy to fund your business. Learn techniques to gain customer financing, vendor financing, investor and/or strategic partner financing. Review bootstrapping, nondilutive capital, bartering, and leverage. Avoid mistakes common to women.
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