SILVER JACKET
ENTREPRENEUR CLASSROOM
12
SESSIONS
11
Videos
LAUNCH
Skill Level
2:30h
Duration
English
Language
Empower Yourself.
TAKE A LOOK AT your
NEW learning path.
MARCH 2, 2021
5:30: Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom: Erika Prosper
Sr. Director of Customer Insights at HEB/First Lady of San Antonio
Phone:
Email: prosper.erika@heb.com
6:00pm-8:00pm Co-Facilitator: Carlos Acosta
Business Advisor at LiftFund
Office:888.215.2373 ext. 1258
Cell:210.919.5503
Introduction to the Business Canvas and the Business Plan
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” These wise words spoken by Benjamin Franklin are applicable not only to everyday life but also to your small business. Throughout the12-weeks, you, our Silver Jackets, will be fleshing out your business plan. In this first session, Carlos will lead a discussion on leadership, decision making, and doing your research. What does it take to be a quality business owner? Silver Jackets will discuss their passions and realistic vision for your company. You will gain help narrowing down your business goals and begin your business plan by starting with your Business Canvas exercise.
Assignments
Commit to success by starting your Business Canvas Exercise. This will set the foundation for beginning your actual business plan in the next session. Your business plan is the foundation of this 12-week program. Each week you will add to your business plan, ultimately having a professional tool ready for you to use and refer to upon Business Launch.
The discussion will include designing your:
-Company Profile
-Company Mission Statement
-Company Vision
-Company Timeline
Homework
-Finish Business Canvas
-Complete Sections I and II of the Business Plan template
Official Start
Section I
–Describe who you are, your business name, and how much funding you need along with what the funding will do to grow your business.
Key Questions to Answer:
–What does your business do?
-What market need does your business solve?
-What are the 4-7 reasons our business will be successful?
-How much capital, if any, are you seeking for your business? What are you going to use the capital for?
Section II
Company Profile
–What is your business name? Do you have a logo? Do you have a tagline?
-What type of legal entity is your business filed as? (Sole- Proprietorship, Corporation, LLC, etc.)
-When was the business founded? (What date was the legal entity filed?)
-Where are you located? Please provide the current or proposed address.
Company Mission Statement
-A statement that illustrates the “Mission” is an opportunity to clearly define the business goals and what the business does for its interested parties.
-What does your business do? Why are you in business? For whom are you in business?
Company Vision Statement
–Where do you aim to be in the future?
Company Timeline
-Existing businesses- include company history and any major milestones
–Start-up businesses- include specific steps you will take in order to launch
–Both- goals for future growth in upcoming years
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MARCH 9, 2021
5:30 Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom: Roger Canamar
International Fashion Designer
Phone: 714-654-0613
Email: racflexx@gmail.com
6:00pm-8:00pm Co-Facilitator: Carlos Acosta
Business Advisor at LiftFund
Office:888.215.2373 ext. 1258
Cell:210.919.5503
Introduction to the Business Plan
In this second session, Carlos will introduce to you the foundation of the entire program, Your Official Business Plan Template. This template will be the outline for all your homework and constructing this template is the ultimate goal of the next 12-weeks. Throughout the 12-week program, you will construct each section for homework, working diligently towards building your Business Plan one section at a time. By the time we are close to the end of the 12-weeks you should be gearing up for your Grand Opening, Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, and Official Launch or Re-Launch of your new fashion business to the public.
Assignments
Foundation of your business plan:
-Management Team Members
-Staff Analysis
-Advisors & Mentors
-Operations Planning
Homework:
Complete section III of your business plan:
Management Team Members
–Who are the owners?
-Who manages/ will manage the business?
-Describe the owner’s relevant background skills and experience. What is / will be their roles in the business. Please provide the resume(s) of owners and key staff members in the appendix.
Staff Analysis
–Who do you still need to hire? What will their responsibilities be?
Advisors and Mentors
–Who in your network would be a good mentor for your business?
-Who can you ask for advice and guidance (business advisors, accountants, attorneys, etc.)?
Operations
–What are the days/times and locations you are open?
Begin Financial Projects Sheets
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MARCH 16, 2021
5:30: Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom: Jesse Daniels
Head of Design & Brand at San Antonio Shoemakers
Phone: 313-595-7999
Email: jesse.daniels@sas-shoes.net
6:00pm-8:00pm Co-Facilitator: KatheLehman Meyer
Director of the Academic Media Center at St. Mary’s University
Phone: 210-431-4345
Email: KLehmanmeyer@St.MaryTX.Edu
Guest speaker to discuss the importance of branding and his experience at SAS as the head of Brand. Will help students with a Q&A.
Assignments
Know your brand:
-Describe your brand.
-How will you influence customers to associate a positive image with your brand?
-What is your value proposition? (aspirational stages)
-Who is your audience?
-Where does your brand fit?
-Research your name in the marketplace
Marketing and Sales Strategy:
-How will you promote? How effective are your handles now if you already have them?
-What online and offline channels do you use?
-Choose effective handles or change them, choose effective hashtags that serve long term.
-How much do you/will you plan to spend on marketing?
-How will you track your efforts and measure results?
Homework
-Complete Section IV of the Business Plan:
Strategy
–How do/will you promote your products/services to create sales?
-What online and offline channels will you use (website, social media,referrals, print material, etc.)?
-How much do/will you spend on marketing and sales?
-How will you track your efforts and measure results?
Branding
Branding is your promise to your customers. It includes your logo, tagline, color scheme, and messaging. It also strongly conveys how you want your customers to perceive you. It is important to create and employ consistently, a brand that is memorable and relevant to your business.
-Briefly describe your brand, (what you stand for, unique advantages you want your customers to associate you with, etc.).
-How will you influence your customers to associate a positive image with your brand?
–Designing branding.
-Solidify all handles. Think about the long term goals.
-Choose brand colors and identify their #RGB color codes for consistency.
-Choose the brand font(s). Gain help in conceptualizing, designing, and perfecting your logo
-Insert starter branding into starter Branding BoardTurn in Sections I, II, III, and IV of your Business Plan and your starter Branding Board to earn your first patch
Brand Identity
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MARCH 23, 2021
5:30pm-6:00pm Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom:
Burgundy Woods
Homework Progress Reporting
6:00pm-8:00pm Co-Facilitator(s): Legal: Rebecca Smith
Rebecca Smith Law Firm
(210) 209-5556
RebeccaSmithLawFirm@Gmail.Com (LiftFund Referral)
Assignments
An overview of the legal considerations you need to think about in relation to your business:
-Sole Proprietor or LLC?
-Identify and protect your intellectual property
-IP Protection in the fashion and apparel industry
-Patents
-Industry Design or Design Patent
-Trademarks
-Infringement
-Copyright
-How to keep trade secrets in your business
Homework
1. Register Umbrella company, DBA company name Downtown. Here is the address:
- BEXAR COUNTY CLERK.
- Paul Elizondo Tower.
- 101 W. Nueva St., Suite 120.
- San Antonio, TX 78205.
- (210) 335-2223.
- Website: https://gov.propertyinfo.com/tx-bexar.
They are going to give you paperwork. Buy yourself some protectant binder sheets and place this paperwork in your TFII Binder.
2. Solidify your brand and get the following:
- NEW BUSINESS GMAIL (This cannot be used for anything else. Just the business. No personal co-mingling. No other side projects. Just the business.
- research and get your social media handles. Keep in mind that your website domain name, handles and gmail SHOULD all be identical. MAKE IT EASY AND FINANCIALLY INEXPENSIVE for consumers to find you and identify you online.
3. Complete Sections I, II, III, and IV of Business Plan if you have not already.
4. Set a time to one-on-one meet with me before next class. This stuff must be done to move on.
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MARCH 30, 2021
5:30: Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom: Lisa Weller
Twirl Salon Owner / ten years in business / two locations: SA & Austin
(210) 426-1482
Guest speaker will talk about being a business owner for over a decade and how she identified the products and services that her customer would identify with and buy.
Assignments
-Students will identify what their product/services are
-List them
-Develop hard costs / COGS
-Develop pricing
Homework
Complete Section V of Business Plan
Products and Services
–Please list your products and services (include your menu, brochure, etc., in appendix).
-Please include the price for each product/service.
-Provide information on the cost of goods or services sold. How much does it cost you to produce your product or service?
Complete Section VI of Customers
Type(s) of Customer
–To whom does your business serve? (Individual consumers, commercial customers, government agencies, etc.)
Customer Profile
–Who is your ideal customer? Create a profile of who your business services including lifestyle, disposable income, education etc.
-Do you have multiple customer segments?
-Do you see any trends within your customer base?
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
APRIL 6, 2021
5:30: Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom: Elsa Fernandez
Owner of Eye Candy Boutique
210-363-3572
Elsa@HeyEyeCandy.Com
Assignments
Students will have time to check in and progress report one at a time. Goal, to complete business plan this far.
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
APRIL 13, 2021
Assignments
Students will gain a crash course in the Photoshop basics that Sole Proprietors need in order to gain independence with frequently used skills, including: Layers, Resizing, Photo Retouching, Color Alteration, Color Correcting, Heal Tool, Text.
Homework
-Define Banding Colors
-Solidify Logo and Logo Variations
-Solidify Fonts
-Create your Branding Board
-Refine logo with transparent background
-Design website favicon. This is the tiny little icon on the side of your URL on your website. A favicon is 16×16 pixels.
Students will later design business cards and order them. This will coincide with Press Release.
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
APRIL 27, 2021
5:30: Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom: Alyssa Mills
Owner of Straight Swim
6:00pm-8:00pm Co-Facilitator: Burgundy Woods
Senior Digital Fashion Editor & Website Designer, Style Lush TV
210-350-0333
Burgundy@StyleLushTV.Com
Assignments
–Solidify and Purchase Domain with GoDaddy
-Solidify handles (so they are all the same)
-Register with Siteground Hosting
-Redirect DNS from GoDaddy
Homework
-Open a bank business bank account. Will need this for the next class.
-Keep working on your business plan if you need to in preparation to meet with me, one-on-one downtown.
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MAY 4, 2021
Assignments
Today we will scheudle your one-one-ones for website building so you can continue your website. Then we will begin Finance 101.
Items of Discussion:
- Do you have a Business Bank Account?
- What is your bookkeeping / accounting software?
- What is your monthly profit / burn?
- What are your gross and net margins?
- What is your CAC or CPA?
- What is the LTV?
Understanding how your website will play into your business and aid is promotion and sales. Gain insight from a web developer as to how to use this tool to the fullest extent. What is Hosting? What is a Domain? Learn about free tools that will help you with your business presence online.
–Solidify and Purchase Domain with GoDaddy
-Solidify handles (so they are all the same)
-Solidify a Business Gmail
-Register with Siteground Hosting
-Create a Google Business Profile
-Create a Google Analytics Profile
Homework
Website
Understanding how your website will play into your business and aid is promotion and sales. Gain insight from a web developer as to how to use this tool to the fullest extent. What is Hosting? What is a Domain? Learn about free tools that will help you with your business presence online.
–Solidify and Purchase Domain with GoDaddy
-Solidify handles (so they are all the same)
-Solidify a Business Gmail
-Register with Siteground Hosting
-Create a Google Business Profile
-Create a Google Analytics Profile
Website
-Did you open a bank business bank account? Will need this for the next class.
Business Plan
Complete Section VII of the Business Plan
Industry and Competition
Market Need
–What customer need(s) are you fulfilling?
Market Fundamentals
IndustryOverview
–In what industry do you compete?
-What is the size of the industry (local, national, global)?
-Are there specific regulations, licenses, or other credentials important to your industry?
Market Trends
–What are the key market trend(s) and how do they affect your business(growth trends, seasonality, consumer preferences)?
-RelevantMarket Size
-How large is your target market (the number of customers who can realistically buy from you)?
Competitive Analysis
–Who are your direct and indirect competitors? Please include the name of the business, location, products/services they sell and the price range. SeeSection VII for example.
-What are their strengths and weaknesses?
-How do you compare to your competitors (price, service, features)?
Competitive Advantage
–Based upon what you know about those competing in your industry; wheredoes your business fit and how does your business stand out (how are you better/different)?
-What are your competitive advantages (aspects that are unique to you and your business)?
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MAY 11, 2021
5:30pm-8:00pm Co-Facilitator: Burgundy Woods
Senior Digital Fashion Editor & Website Designer, Style Lush TV
310-424-0074
Burgundy@StyleLushTV.Com
Assignments
Understanding how to not co-mingle funds and separate your personal income from your professional income. Learn how to manage your accounting on the best software for sole proprietors or single-member LLCs.
-Setting up your personal and business bank accounts in your profile
-How to track your miles
-Set up your taxes
-Learn how to create reports: Mileage log, Profit and loss (PnL), Business and personal expenses, Receipts, Tag Totals, Tax summary, Tax details
-Set up your invoices template and prepare to invoice clients/customers
Homework
-Import past bank transactions
-Go through transactions and categorize them correctly
Complete Financial Projects Sheets
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MAY 18, 2021
5:30pm: Guest Speaker/Words of Wisdom: Jules Aldaz
Wardrobe Stylist for Great Day SA-KENS5
Phone: 214-448-7452
Email: Style@jules.style
6:00pm-8:00pm Co-Facilitator: BurgundyWoods
Senior Digital Fashion Editor at Style Lush TV
(310) 424-0074
Burgundy@StyleLushTV.Com
Assignments
-Learn how to write a press release/receive your template
-Receive starter Media List
-Finish taking headshots
Homework
-Perfect Press Release in preparation for your ribbon-cutting ceremony
PATCH EARNED
Media Relations
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
MAY 18, 2021
Assignments
We evaluate where the class in as a whole. Final certificate ceremony will be scheduled once we feel the entire class can celebrate mastering the sessions taught. This session will allow you to complete and finish you business plan and check off all items on your Progress Report. Preparation for Certificate Ceremony and Planning Grand Opening and/or Ribbon Cutting to also occur.
Homework
-Complete Business Plan
-Press Release
-Pencil In Date for Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening
*This 12-week program is designed to build off the previous week’s assignments. It is vital to finish all homework before the next session and to bring it to the class completed. Our ability to help you in class and move you forward is based on your completed homework. Please come to class prepared.
Video 2h
Certificate Ceremony: This will be determined once we feel everyone can feel confident in the education learned during the course of the program. We evaluate where the class in as a whole. Final certificate ceremony will be scheduled once we feel the entire class can celebrate mastering the sessions taught. This session will allow you to complete and finish you business plan and check off all items on your Progress Report.
Location TBD
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