Courses in entrepreneurship are offered in most colleges and in business schools everywhere, but rarely, if ever, are they offered in high school. This is a missed opportunity for three major reasons:

First, over the last ten years students have started to question if a college education is really the path to a successful career. One of the major questions they ask, is graduating with student loan debt worth it? Not that education isn’t worth it, but rather, is what colleges offer worth it or can a vocational, or similar school, teach the needed skills and serve a student better?

We could write a whole book on the pros and cons of college. The question students are really asking is, are there other ways to acquire the specific skills for a profession and are there other ways to learn critical thinkings skills? The critical thinking jumps out as the most important of any skill that will serve a student their whole life regardless of their profession. These questions are leading some high school students to opt out and not to go to college. When this happens they miss out on an entrepreneurship course.

Second, there might never be a better time for a person to start a company other then when they are in high school. One of the biggest costs of starting a company is salary. A salary that can pay for rent or a mortgage, food, transportation, insurance and all the other things that come along with living on your own. Not needing a salary is a HUGE competitive advantage. Most high school students have this advantage and miss the opportunity if they don’t have some form of entrepreneur training.

Third, the Internet and modern technology has lowered the costs and given access to millions of potential customers all from a phone much less an internet browser on the computer Coupled with our second reason, whether or not a student goes to college or not, the lower barriers to entry is a HUGE opportunity for students in high school.

There’s no more opportune time in someone’s life to learn about entrepreneurship and how to build a business than in high school. This course offers that opportunity.

The strange thing about entrepreneurship is that it lacks a defined technical base or discipline. Individuals and organizations ranging from street vendors to transnational corporations all do entrepreneurial activity, which suggests that the topic should permeate all of business education. What can the focus of a special course in entrepreneurship possibly be?

The mission of this Entrepreneurship course is to prepare high school students to start and and grow their own businesses. There is no better way to learn than to actually do it.

In this course students (individually or a team) pick a business idea and over the span of the course build a business plan and test the idea over learning how to build a business plan in 11 slides.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Week 1 – Introduction to the course, picking an idea, Slide 1 – Elevator Pitch, Slide 2 Problem Slide
* Pre-reading: The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer handout – Harvard Business Review 11121996
* Back of the Napkin to…Business Plan in 11 Slides. Chapters: Elevator Pitch and Problem Slide
* Come to class with a business idea. Any idea will work

Week 2 – Solution Slide and How to Build Your Solution
* Back of the Napkin to…Business Plan in 11 Slides. Chapters: Solution

Week 3 – Market Opportunity and Go to Market Slides
* Back of the Napkin to…Business Plan in 11 Slides. Chapters: Market Opportunity and Go to Market

Week 4 – Traction and Milestones and Competition Slides
* Back of the Napkin to…Business Plan in 11 Slides. Chapters: Traction and Milestones and Competition

Week 5 – Financials and Financials Slide
* Pre-reading: Bootstrap Finance handout: The Art of Start-ups – Harvard Business Review Reprint 92601
* Handout: Financials template – Brandon White, workbook in Google Sheets
* Back of the Napkin to…Business Plan in 11 Slides. Chapters: Financials

Week 6 – Team Slide, Funding, Summary Slides
* Pre-reading: New Venture Financing handout – Harvard Business School 9-802-131
* Back of the Napkin to…Business Plan in 11 Slides. Chapters: Team, Funding, Summary

Week 7 – Testing your business updates, Presentations of Business Plans
* Handout: Business Check up – Brandon White, worksheet

Week 8 – Testing your business updates, Presentations of Business Plans
* Handout: Business Check up – Brandon White, worksheet

COHORT 1 starts on March____, 2023

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Grades: the course is pass/fail

2. Class attendance: You are required to attend all classes. You may be excused for extraordinary circumstances or any normal school work. This means you skip this class if you have a test, paper,  or like assignment that you are not prepared for the next day in class. Also, any sporting events are excused. You MUST notify me prior to missing class to be excused. If you don’t you’re not permitted to continue the class.

3. Assignments: You’re required to do the between class assignments can be a reading assignment and/or work on your business plan slide. These assignments impact YOUR business so if you don’t do them you’re hurting yourself and your revenue. That means you’re missing out on money 🙂

ABOUT BRANDON C. WHITE

Brandon is an entrepreneur with two exists (so far), lots of strikeouts, angel investor, former venture capitalist, and worked in Marketing at America Online. He’s currently CEO of File Finder, an app that helps you find files you know you have, but can’t find, faster.

He started his professional career in technology as a pioneer on the Internet in 1996 as the Founder/CEO of Worldwide Angler, Inc. Worldwide Angler was recognized as the #1 social networking and e-commerce site for sport fisherman on the internet.  He bought the company back from the investors in 2001 and led it to a successful exit a decade later to a large public media company.

He lives Half Moon Bay, CA with his wife and dogs.

When not at the mic or keyboard you can find him riding his road bike zipping up and down the California coast.

FAQ

Has this course ever been taught before?
Yes. I’ve taught this class to over 1,600 students. I started out teaching this class for the sharks on Shark Tank who have entrepreneurship programs. Specially, I taught it for students of Daymond John and Robert Herjavec.

What if I don’t have a business idea?
No problem, it’s not required. You’ll still learn how to build a business plan for when you do have an idea or maybe you come up with an idea while taking the class.

What if I have to miss a class?
I plan to record the classes. However, it’s strongly suggested you only miss a class for a major reason.

Can I get credits for taking this course?
Not right now, but we’re working on getting the class accredited for the future.