FutureLearn Starting a Business 1: Vision and Opportunity review

In this review I want to share my thoughts about this course.

I run a small business named Cambridge Hoopers. I took this course to see what it had to offer me in terms of my unusual development incorporating hula hoop as an art form that is emerging as a popular activity. It appealed to me because of its easy to follow structure, and it came in short stages. I have completed stage one today, and I have very much enjoyed it.

Starting off with an activity about assessing the qualities of entrepreneurship, the course shifted into laying out dimensions and drivers in the business model. This helped me to think of assets of a business, and external factors which impacted upon it. We applied this concept to a competitors business, and then to our own. It was useful to compare mine with another hooping store and see where they had effectively illustrated that they had used certain factors to their advantage.

Looking at an entrepreneurs case study, I got to think about how different mediums and online platforms served a new business with comments from professionals. I was happy to find that the steps recommended for the best outcome were those I had already began.

I am glad to have embarked on a course with such a good structure: the second print out consists of a page for each course section where by on completion, you will end up with your own business plan. The plan enables you not only to identify what you have in your business, but to recognise problems and show how your vision may break through them.

This first stage was very good, and I am looking forward to the rest; next up is stage 2: People and Networks.