The CORE FOUR® Business Planning Course is a curriculum to educate, prepare, and motivate entrepreneurs and small business owners, and is an indispensable learning tool for both novice and experienced entrepreneurs.

The CORE FOUR Business Planning curriculum consists of the following:

• Student manuals
• Reading Assignments
• Worksheets
• "The Master Plan" poster

Features And Benefits

Benefits of the CORE FOUR® curriculum:

• Includes everything you need, such as student manual, worksheets, handouts, exercises, PowerPoint slides, flip chart samples, discussion topics, etc.
• Learn business planning concepts in a practical and real-world manner that you can relate to and understand
• Strong emphasis throughout the curriculum on the due diligence process of verifying and validating information
• Helps you understand not only the pieces of a business plan, but also the process of creating a business plan
• Engaging and interactive curriculum - you'll love it!
• Inspires, motivates, and gives you the feeling that this is something you can do

The CORE FOUR® Business Planning Course provides essential business planning knowledge for anyone with an existing business, a business idea, or simply the desire to become an entrepreneur.

What are the Four "Cores?"

Core 1: Success Planning
Success Planning presents tools for self-assessment, financial goal setting, setting boundaries, communication skills, selling skills, and contingency planning. Success Planning will help you prepare your "business owner" resume and personal financial plan and help you become aware of your wants, needs, and goals for your business.

Core 2: Market Planning
Market Planning presents tools and strategies for transforming your dream into a real, market-driven business. The importance of matching your business with the needs and wants of customers is highlighted as you discover how to identify the features and benefits of your product or service and learn about imaging, packaging, pricing, selling, promotional planning, and contingency planning. You will learn how to target your customers, analyze your industry and competition, and identify your position in the market.

Core 3: Cash Flow Planning
Cash Flow Planning presents detailed strategies for planning the financial future of your business with emphasis on projecting sales, setting sales goals, and contingency planning. Cash Flow Planning helps to clarify the personal financial needs of the owner as separate from the financial needs of the business.

Core 4: Operations Planning
Operations Planning presents key issues and strategies for operating a legitimate business that complies with legal standards and requirements. This section will help the business owner identify what work must be done, how it will be accomplished, and by whom.

Course Outline

Success Planning:

1. Discuss the types of decisions the individual needs to make while thinking about a business.
2. Focus on what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
3. Focus on defining the business idea.
4. Work with the principle that if you set goals you will achieve them.
5. Be open-minded about new ideas and new ways.
6. Encourage the business owner to see and think through a lender's eyes.
7. Capitalize on strengths and compensate for weaknesses.
8. Understand the reasons for wanting to be in business.
9. Help understand and fill out a financial statement
10. Help understand financing and what amount of capital can be leveraged for a business.
11. See, understand, and know the use of a credit report.
12. Understand the relationship between business life and personal life.
13. Explain why a written business plan is so important.

Market Planning:

1. Learn that marketing means more than advertising.
2. Learn about the marketplace and market share.
3. Learn the elements of a market plan.
4. Understand the importance of focusing on the customers' needs.
5. Recognize the features and benefits of products and services.
6. Understand the pros and cons of different distribution processes.
7. Identify the variety of sources available to obtain data specific to a business or industry.
8. Understand who is your customer and what they have in common.
9. Understand who is your competition and do a competitive analysis.
10. Evaluate competition, determine a niche and position your business.
11. Understand what 'sells'.
12. Understand the elements of a promotional plan and how to develop one.
13. Understand pricing and how to determine pricing.
14. How to create a sales presentation.

Cash Flow Planning:

1. Take the fear out of constructing cash flow projections.
2. Make realistic and reasonable assumptions on cash flow projections.
3. Explain what cash flow is and how to project these figures on a cash flow form.
4. How the marketing plan drives the decisions about how the business spends and receives cash.
5. How to plan startup cash.
6. Understanding 'Cost of Goods Sold' (variable costs).
7. Understanding 'Cost for Operations' (fixed costs).
8. Understanding the difference in, and implications of cash vs. profit.
9. The importance of a contingency plan
10. Understanding how assets and liabilities figure into cash flow planning.
11. Projecting sources and uses of funds.
12. Figuring 'Owner Draw' into cash flow planning.
13. Operations Planning:
14. Choosing from different forms of business.
15. Naming a business.
16. Home based business issues.
17. Business ID numbers.
18. Determining business tax issues.
19. Understanding licenses and permits.
20. Complying with zoning and pollution control regulations.
21. Understanding employment law issues.
22. Managing risk - forms of insurance.
23. Shopping for and securing professional services.
24. A business's involvement with banking resources.
25. Bookkeeping and record keeping requirements.
26. Operational policy and procedure needs.
27. Establishing customer service standards.
28. Appropriate uses of technology.
29. The need for a business 'dress rehearsal'.

CORE FOUR® finishes with a "What's Next" form, which gives participants the opportunity to request further business planning assistance.

Who Uses CORE FOUR®?

There are many different kinds of people that use the CORE FOUR® curriculum, such as:

• Entrepreneurs with an idea to start a business
• Small business owners trying to grow their business
• Owners seeking business financing
• A business owner looking to create a marketing plan
• Entrepreneurs developing a cash flow statement

CORE FOUR® is very flexible and can be adapted to fit a wide variety of entrepreneurial needs!