ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PROJECT, INITIATIVE & VENTURE PROGRAM

 "ANY PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED BY AN ENTREPRENEUR IN A PROJECT, INITIATIVE OR VENTURE..."

This practical program will share with participants a series of cases, concepts, readings, and as a result attendees build a Business Plan, update a Strategy or use the knowledge for the next annual planning exercise. It also helps understand the new trends when planning for sustainability.

You will learn the Development Model, widely used to design B2B and B2C strategies.

I'll show you how to grow your operations' footprint by adopting a different position on the value chain for your goods, services and programs.

The Process

1. Every week readings and videos are provided as well as assignments

2. The program’s texts are the books Partnerships & Networks and Strategies by Maximiliano Brandt which cover different themes that Maximiliano Brandt has used to support organizations, institutions, businesses, charities and nonprofits in different sectors. 

3. You will develop a Canvas and Project Matrix as program progresses

4. Our model includes all green economy aspects in order to comply and use ESG standards as drivers for your entrepreneurship, project or initiative.

5. Weekly follow-up meetings provide an opportunity for consultation, discussion and in the case of groups peer to peer exchanges.   

Week 1

This week we review the fundamental elements to design a successful Strategy.

This week's readings immerse us in sustainable development, as well as presenting us with the Reengineering model that we will use to organize this week's work, please develop the exercise and document it.

The video on phase one of the strategy shows us the organic market of any product or service and that it handles key indicators to measure its execution. The video on the book Why Countries Fail presents us with a revolutionary theory about the development of countries.

The video on the maps of audiences of interest presents us with a fundamental tool to identify possible groups or entities that may be key to the success of the strategy. The SWOT analysis serves to see those strengths of my idea, place them to be evaluated.

Green economy principles: we'll introduce key elements of sustainability your entrepreneurship, project or initiative should have. 

You will also develop a problem tree, then a purpose tree and theory of Change to achieve economic, social and environmentally sound products and/or services.

You will start your plan with elements from this week's learnings, using the project tracking tool.

Once the update of your Plan is completed, you will send it together with the assignments for my review. 

Week 2

This week we focus on the design of the Strategy, bringing the elements developed in the previous week. Now we want to make a matrix map of the goods and services that you offer or plan to offer, outlining the impact on the chosen market, and the profits that said market, measuring income and expenses by product.

The book Strategies  explains the use of a strategy. We will also do an innovation exercise, from what we have at the moment, how do we project it? Where the market that my product serves is going, what trends exist that will change it or its expectations will change, and most importantly, what differentiating element my product has.

The video on dimension 2 or sectoral market of the Strategy shows us how we can scale our idea by looking for gaps in market systems and public policies. It is an exercise to think outside the box, researching other ways of marketing products online. Sometimes we realize that our solution works better from this dimension, and there you design a slightly different product or service that helps match demand with supply. The Triple Bottom Line can also help to generate that differentiating element.

The video about the Canvas to model your idea teaches you how to develop the key elements of your business.

You will update your plan with elements from this week's learnings, using the project tracking tool.

Week 3

What are the networks, clusters, movements and trends that we should include in our Strategy? Social and cooperate networks are organized in various ways. How do you develop a strategy to grow your network?, what are the resources that the network gives me access to? What standards do network members use to present aggregate impact measures? What green economy standards do they require? How can I use these standards as drivers for sustainable production and the differentiation element we are looking for. 

For example, in the creation of new markets this is of utmost importance, because it enables many actors, let's see the following example that is shared in the book Alianzas, “… a group of economists led by Graciela Chichilnisky from Argentina developed a formula to calculate the effect of climate change in economic data. This led to the creation of a market for environmental services that today enables the exchange of carbon credits, which allow a country with high levels of carbon emissions to invest in the conservation of forested areas in other latitudes and thus offset their impact. For example, Costa Rica has conserved a high percentage of its territory by selling environmental services that are paid for with carbon credits… ”The ventures, projects and initiatives that aligned with this trend grew more easily because their strategy was aligned with the ecosystem. Finding these drivers that include both sustainability and ROI returns is key.

The book Partnerships & Networks offers a 15-step guide to identify those organizations, movements, institutions, businesses, and others that can help in the execution of the mission to reach the vision that each Entrepreneurship, Project and initiative has. Please follow the steps in the guide regarding your Entrepreneurship, Project or initiative.

We review what are the trends that can help your Entrepreneurship, Project or Initiative and include them in your Business Plan,

You will update your plan with elements from this week's learnings.

Week 4

Financial Model, we must be clear about the financial model that we will use, this week's exercises seek to find a model. The strategy can tell us something about it. We must do a comparative exercise of equivalence in impact and cost per dimension of the Strategy. There are trade-offs between the different dimension options.

Evaluation matrix:

Equivalence: develop an equivalence based on the chosen model. Here is an example of how the result of a factor in level 1 represents several in dimension 2 and so on.

We must also understand that the strategy dictates the level of Total Impact that we will achieve, that is, it is likely that if our objectives are global, such as eradicating a disease at a global level, the organic dimension will simply not be enough to achieve the objective. On the other hand, the level of resources is higher in dimensions 2 and 3 but not so much in dimension 1. This facilitates our decision based on capital or access to credit or income that we have for our business, project or initiative. Finally, the Level of Insured Resources also varies, in dimension 1 it is 2, in dimensions 2 and 3 it is 1, we must balance these factors to choose the correct strategy for our products to service.

You will update your plan with elements from this week's learnings.

Week 5

With all the elements developed, we'll review the different options to make it into a financially viable and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable initiative. Understanding and mitigating possible negative impacts.

Based on last week's impact level (market) and investment exercise, let's now evaluate the income model under two criteria: One-time income: those you get from transactions or punctual payments from your clients and Recurring Income: they are those periodic payments that you obtain, for example, from the fee paid by users of a membership, monthly services, subscription or subscription. 

We'll design your Investment model with a robust financial structure. Develop an ad-hoc financial model.

Venture capital (VC): will review this form of private equity and financing that investors provide to startups and small businesses that are believed to have long-term growth potential. Venture capital generally comes from wealthy investors, investment banks, and any other financial institutions.

You will update your plan with elements from this week's learnings.

Your project, venture or initiative planning phase is completed, lets see then, first of all we identified your vision. If your project, initiative or startup includes to solve a problem, to get to its root, we created a problem tree; then we proposed a theory of change, we identified the triple result and public value. We draw up a map of actors that leads us to identify the partners and their motivations; We identified the type of link they used to enter the project, the project matrix. Then we developed a project with the activities. We designed an evaluation form and determined where that information is and thus calculate the expected impact. We place everything on the Canvas of our Entrepreneurship, Project or Initiative.

The investment of resources is a list of what we need to invest and for what. Finally we record the risks and assumptions that we must consider. What is the model? What are the similar successful references? What kind of KPIs are you going to use to measure it?

Is your entrepreneurship, project or initiative sustainable? Does it help by offering products and services for sustainable production and consumption? It may be that your solution also help a wider audience to be sustainable, becoming a change maker in itself.  

Deliverables:

1. We’ll Identify your vision.

2. If you wanted to solve a problem, to get to its root, we’ll create a problem tree

3. then we’ll propose a theory of change, choose a dimension for the strategy

4. We’ll identify the triple bottom line and public value.

5. We’ll draw up a map of actors that leads us to identify the partners and their motivations

6. We’ll develop a product, service sor project with sustainable production standards,  

7. We’ll design an evaluation form to measure the expected impact.

8. We’ll place everything on the Canvas of your Entrepreneurship, Project or Initiative.

In terms of outcomes of the program you will leave having a broader understanding of strategy, business planning design, with all aspects of accountability and sustainability standards included. As well as understanding the development model, which many successful entrepreneurship, project or initiatives include.    

Our purpose and theory of change is if we build capacities, knowledge and attitudes  in individuals, CSOs, government entities and businesses, then we'll achieve economic, social and environmental development in an inclusive and sustainable manner.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PROJECT, INITIATIVE & VENTURE PROGRAM

For questions and to sign up, please contact me at mbrandtch@gmail.com