Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Business Marketing
Goals: Introduce the concept of a small business, the role of entrepreneurs and business marketing. Introduce networking/presentation skills
Activities: Speed Networking - Students are split into two groups; interviewers and interviewees. The interviewees had one minute to pitch themselves as the ideal employee to the interviewers.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. Money Instructor instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: Speed Networking - Students are split into two groups; interviewers and interviewees. The interviewees had one minute to pitch themselves as the ideal employee to the interviewers.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. Money Instructor instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Turning an Idea into a Business and Target Marketing
Goals: Teach students how to turn an idea into a business plan, to assess market climate, to do market research, and to weigh potential risks. Introduce concept of target marketing.
Activities: Mind Mapping - Students are led through a three part classroom exercise that demonstrated how to brainstorm, develop, and pitch ideas using a case study about a fictional dog grooming business.
Students are also guided through a discussion about "Merchants of Cool" and the various techniques large companies have employed to build brand loyalty and increase sales.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. Frontline "Merchants of Cool" documentary segment. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: Mind Mapping - Students are led through a three part classroom exercise that demonstrated how to brainstorm, develop, and pitch ideas using a case study about a fictional dog grooming business.
Students are also guided through a discussion about "Merchants of Cool" and the various techniques large companies have employed to build brand loyalty and increase sales.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. Frontline "Merchants of Cool" documentary segment. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Business Planning and Non-Verbal Communication
Goals: Introduce concept of business planning and how to write a business plan. Introduce non-verbal communication and presentation techniques.
Activities: Students complete worksheets that outlined the components of a business plan. Students practice hand shakes with each other as a segue into the lesson on non-verbal communication. Students identify universal facial expressions of happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: Students complete worksheets that outlined the components of a business plan. Students practice hand shakes with each other as a segue into the lesson on non-verbal communication. Students identify universal facial expressions of happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Market Research
Goals: Introduce students to market research techniques. Introduce students to different types of data (primary and secondary, qualitative and quantitative), data resources, survey techniques, and data interpretation.
Activities: Students are asked to define their target market demographically and psychographically and how/where they can gather necessary data for their market research. Students are asked to develop a hypothesis for their business plan to prepare them to make wise buying decisions in NYC.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. Self-Counsel Press instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: Students are asked to define their target market demographically and psychographically and how/where they can gather necessary data for their market research. Students are asked to develop a hypothesis for their business plan to prepare them to make wise buying decisions in NYC.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. Self-Counsel Press instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
The Fundamentals of Branding
Goals: Review the NYC buying trip, seek examples of successful negotiation as instructive examples for the group. Introduce students to the concept of brands and branding. Teach students what a brand is and is not, what a brand should do, what elements to include in a effective brand, and how to identify positive aspects while researching ideas for their brand.
Activities: Students are asked to demonstrate their concept of a brand, and how that differs from brand identity, logos, advertisements and slogans. Students are asked to discuss the products they purchased or their business, what they learned about their target market, how their hypothesis changed, and what additional research they need to coduct.
Resources: CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Brands by Alma Wheeler.
Activities: Students are asked to demonstrate their concept of a brand, and how that differs from brand identity, logos, advertisements and slogans. Students are asked to discuss the products they purchased or their business, what they learned about their target market, how their hypothesis changed, and what additional research they need to coduct.
Resources: CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Brands by Alma Wheeler.
Creating a Brand
Goals: Introduce students to designing logos that effectively represent their brand by teaching the elements and purposes of logo design, color and fonts. Introduce students to the logo development and the pitching process between a business client and advertising professionals through various case studies.
Activities: Students are asked to draw their own logo at the beginning of class. Students will attempt to identify existing logos through a single letter. Students combine in groups of three to form new businesses. In that capacity they are given a homework assignment to write a business plan.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. The Co-Operative Group, Co-Operative College, and Co-Operative Business & Enterprise College Network's instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Brandsby Alma Wheeler. Instructional videos, "On the Art of Branding" - Jeff Antokowiak ADG, "Introduction to Typography" - Karen Kavett, "Comic Sans" - Samantha Pagan and Anita Brown
Activities: Students are asked to draw their own logo at the beginning of class. Students will attempt to identify existing logos through a single letter. Students combine in groups of three to form new businesses. In that capacity they are given a homework assignment to write a business plan.
Resources: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials. The Co-Operative Group, Co-Operative College, and Co-Operative Business & Enterprise College Network's instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Brandsby Alma Wheeler. Instructional videos, "On the Art of Branding" - Jeff Antokowiak ADG, "Introduction to Typography" - Karen Kavett, "Comic Sans" - Samantha Pagan and Anita Brown
Branding 102
Goals: Students should fully understand the business implications of branding and how branding has changed the marketplace. Introduce the students to the concept of customer touch points.
Activities: Students will complete the brand positioning statement and the customers touchpoint exercise worksheets.
Resources: Pita Group instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: Students will complete the brand positioning statement and the customers touchpoint exercise worksheets.
Resources: Pita Group instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Social Media 101
Goals: Introduce students to their netbook computers. Teach the students how to use open office to build their presentation and to access weebly.com to build their business websites. Introduce students to social media, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Wordpress to further business goals. Introduce students to public relations and how to generate and track stories through social media.
Activities: Assign netbook computers and have students sign on and establish their business websites. In their notes, students will compile free social media monitoring tools including Technorati.com, Social Mention.com and Facebook Search.
Resources: Pita Group instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: Assign netbook computers and have students sign on and establish their business websites. In their notes, students will compile free social media monitoring tools including Technorati.com, Social Mention.com and Facebook Search.
Resources: Pita Group instructional materials. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Creating a Media Portfolio
Goals: Guided by instructors, the students will start to build their business presentations and websites.
Activities: Following a step by step tutorial, the students will access their netbook computers and using Open Office, build their media portfolios, which will contain both their business presentation and their websites.
Resources: CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: Following a step by step tutorial, the students will access their netbook computers and using Open Office, build their media portfolios, which will contain both their business presentation and their websites.
Resources: CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Refining a Media Portfolio
Goals: For the students to finish building and to present both their business presentations and their websites.
Activities: All students will access their netbook computers and contribute to the building of their business group's media portfolio.
Resources: Student created media portfolios. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Activities: All students will access their netbook computers and contribute to the building of their business group's media portfolio.
Resources: Student created media portfolios. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials.
Business Presentation at Pita Group
Goals: Introduce students to a professional business environment in a real world test of their knowledge and confidence.
Activities: Each group of students will present their media portfolios, which contains both their business plans and websites, for judging by a group of media professionals.
Resources: Student created media portfolios. CPBN Media Lab instructor mentoring. Pita Group evaluation.
Activities: Each group of students will present their media portfolios, which contains both their business plans and websites, for judging by a group of media professionals.
Resources: Student created media portfolios. CPBN Media Lab instructor mentoring. Pita Group evaluation.
Reflection and Interactive Games
Goals: Create a benchmark for student's development (presentation, organization and writing skills), via discussion and reflective journals. Develop the students understanding of color as it effects mood. Reinforce the course lessons on entrepreneurial business leadership.
Activities: Lead the students through an evaluation of their business presentation via discussion and evaluative worksheet. In an instructor directed framework, students will access the poynter.org interactive color chart with their netbook computers. Students will sign in and start to play an interactive online business game for young entrepreneurs.
Resources: CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. Poynter instructional materials. National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials.
Activities: Lead the students through an evaluation of their business presentation via discussion and evaluative worksheet. In an instructor directed framework, students will access the poynter.org interactive color chart with their netbook computers. Students will sign in and start to play an interactive online business game for young entrepreneurs.
Resources: CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. Poynter instructional materials. National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials.
Graduation Day and Interactive Games
Goals: Recognize the student groups that produced the best creative elements. Prepare students for their next steps as entrepreneurs.
Activities: Students will continue their interactive online business game with their netbook computers.
Resources: Student created media portfolios. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials
Activities: Students will continue their interactive online business game with their netbook computers.
Resources: Student created media portfolios. CPBN Media Lab instructional materials. National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) instructional materials
