Opportunity to Profit

University of Wisconsin- Whitewater

Small Business Development Center

To us, small business is big...

Opportunity to Profit

Your path to successful business ownership.

The Opportunity to Profit course teaches you the fundamentals of running a business and guides you through the process of writing a customized business plan. Small Business Administration research shows that businesses with a written plan are far more likely to succeed than those without a plan. A written business plan helps you control your business instead of it controlling you. It is also a critical tool for attracting funding. During the Opportunity to Profit process, you will learn how to target your market, analyze your competitors, develop realistic financial projections and examine your business’s strengths and weaknesses. When you finish the course and the counseling sessions, you will have a complete business plan.

Opportunity to Profit includes one-to-one sessions with SBDC business advisors.

Participants who complete and submit an approved Business Plan are eligible to receive a Wisconsin Department of Commerce scholarship that covers 75% of the cost of Opportunity to Profit!

Course topics:

Small business and the owner/manager
Developing vision and mission statements
Defining your product or service
Promoting your product or service
Market research and strategy development
Sales & distribution planning
Sales and distribution planning

Legal Issues and Requirements
Managing employees
Insurance and risk management
Financing your business
Managing finances and taxes
Information technology for the small business
Record keeping and accounting

Note: The use of Microsoft Excel to track and project financial information is a crucial part of this course. You will need to have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer and have a good working knowledge of how to use existing worksheets.Participants should also have a good working knowledge of MS Word as it is used frequently during the course and in preparing the narrative portions of your business plan. Local technical colleges offer low-cost Excel classes. You may call the SBDC office at 262-472-3217 or 1-800-621-7235 for more information on how to contact your area technical college.

Current session details:

Weekend Boot Camp
The three-weekend Boot Camp covers business fundamentals in more detail than the short course. This format is for those who are new to business or wanting a more thorough classroom experience. It offers 30 hours of training over the course of two Friday evenings from 6 - 9 p.m. and three Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dates and location to be announced with the schedule based on demand from existing business owners. (The course originally scheduled to begin on February 1, 2008 has been cancelled due to a lack of eligible registered participants.)

Short Course
This is an accelerated learning format for business owners and/or managers with some business knowledge/experience who want to learn how to write a great business plan. The instructor will provide attendees with presentations and consulting sessions covering product/service definition, promotion and advertising, marketing research and strategy, sales and distribution, operations management, small business legal issues, financing, recordkeeping and financial projections. Class meets only six hours--two evenings from 6 - 9 p.m.

Dates and location to be announced with the schedule based on demand from existing business owners.

Pay only $250 for this course which has a $1000 value thanks to grants from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. If you have recently taken the First Steps workshop and paid the $25/$40 fee, that fee may also be applied to your $250 out-of-pocket cost. To apply for the grant, complete the form online or print out a PDF and send it to the SBDC office. You may also call to request that a grant application be mailed to you.

Click Here to Register Now!

"The entrepreneurial training program put me on the right track.... Not only did the program help me with my business plan, but also it armed me with valuable business knowledge at an affordable cost. I recommend the course to any start up company or small business planning to expand."

"The entrepreneurial training course literally saved our business."

"When I first started, I expected to write a plan to get some money. Now I feel focused. Our business is growing beyond our expectations financially, and our plan is geared toward goal setting. How wonderful."
-Kathleen Tutton, Nature Friendly Landscaping

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