Enterprise Startup and Business Models

The course aims to provide knowledge and develop skills in business planning and application of technological and organizational-management innovation tools for business startups, with the following training objectives:

1. Knowledge and understanding: the student acquires advanced knowledge and understanding of the main business and management topics, methods and tools concerning entrepreneurial initiatives and the managing of startups.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding: the constant examination of case studies for each single industry typology will allow students to develop understanding of the difference between theory and practice, through the acquisition of key skills and understanding of startup process, startup innovation, business idea, business planning, business model, marketing plan, financial planning, organizational structure.
3. Making judgements: the student acquires the capacity to apply the strategic approach of the decison making process, gaining judgement skills on entrepreneurial process, business environment, organization and key business models. In order to favor the elaboration of autonomous judgements, students will be often invited to express personal opinions, and it will be required to analyze specific projects in order to help their overall evaluation.
4. Communication skills: the student will always be able to clearly communicate his/her thoughts proving to having correctly understood the work done together with the teacher, acquiring communication skills on business plan creation and presentation, startup creation and presentation
5. Learning skills: the student acquires a high learning capacity able to make him/her autonomous in managing his/her professional development with regard to the acquisition of the key skills and competencies to enter into the business and job environment and work world.

• Frontal lections
• Applications
• Seminars
• Case studies
• Project work

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.

Bi-weekly attendance at classroom lectures given by the teacher; participation in any supplementary and/or auxiliary teaching activities.

Lectures, group work, analysis of case studies, analysis of databases, classroom testimonials from entrepreneurs, managers and institutional representatives.

Given the nature of the objectives, the "format" of the Course privileges discussion and active participation of students in the classroom.

1. Business Plan introduction
2. The entreprenuer
3. The managerial skills
4. Personality
5. Motivation
6. Startup and innovative SME
7. Statup creation
8. Startup life-cycle
9. Death Valley
10. Straight-up business model
11. Business planning
12. Business plan assumptions and process
13. Executive summary and elevator pitch
14. Business idea
15. Business model
16. Market analysis
17. Targeting and positioning
18. Marketing plan
19. Operations plan
20. Production plan
21. Investment plan
22. Financial plan
23. Startup financing
24. Business project (groupwork)

Reference Book: SCHILLACI C.E., ROMANO M., “Straight up. Percorsi strategici per nuove imprese”, Milano, McGraw-Hill Education, 2017

Additional handouts and lectures’ material available online on STUDIUM

Consultation book for Business Planning: BORELLO, K. A., “Excellent business plan”, 7th edition, Hoepli, Milano, 2022

Students are assessed by means of an examination test to be taken in the appeals scheduled in the official diary of examinations for the discipline.

The examination test will be in a mixed written/oral form, with an initial phase of written questions (4-6 multiple-choice or open-ended questions) and a subsequent oral supplement (1-2 questions), on all the topics given in the textbook (SCHILLACI C.E., ROMANO M., "Straight up. Percorsi strategici per nuove imprese" Milan, McGraw-Hill Education, and in the supplementary teaching materials distributed by the lecturer and available on the Studium platform.

The final evaluation, expressed in thirtieths, is made up through the application of the following criteria: knowledge of the topics discussed, appropriateness of technical language, relevance of the answers, quality of their contents, ability to connect with other topics within the program, ability to report examples, quality of technical language, overall expressive ability.

Booking at least 3 days in advance of the scheduled exam dates is always considered a necessary condition for taking it.

Verification of learning may also be conducted electronically, should conditions require it.

To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, students can request a meeting in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measure, according to the educational goals and specific needs. In this case, it is advisable to contact the CInAP (Centre for Active and Participated Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or SLD) professor of the Department where the Degree Course is included.

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Students who attend the course (minimum attendance of 70 percent of classes) are given the opportunity to conduct group work (project work) related to the preparation of a Business Plan and take an end-of-course test (see below under "Group work and end-of-course test").

GROUP WORK and END OF COURSE TEST

Students who attend the course (minimum attendance of 70% of the classes) are given the opportunity to carry out group work (project work) having as its object the preparation of a complete Business Plan for a startup, according to the directions and timelines provided in the classroom by the teacher.

The first part of the group work involves the preparation of a Pitch, consisting of a PowerPoint presentation of the startup's project idea and its main contents, divided into a maximum number of 10 slides.

The second part of the group work consists of the preparation of an actual complete Business Plan, to be articulated in the various sections according to the directions and timelines defined in the classroom by the teacher, with subsequent presentation and discussion of the work in the classroom.

Following the successful completion of the group work, attending students can take a single test of verification of learning at the end of the course, in written form on sheets specially prepared by the lecturer, lasting 25-30 minutes, consisting of 6-8 multiple-choice, true/false or open-ended questions on the contents of the program covered in the classroom by the teacher.

The end-of-course verification test may also be conducted electronically, should conditions require it.

Definition of innovative startup and requirements

Describe the process of building a business plan

Illustrate the concept of the business model

The startup Death Valley

Describe the contents and functions of the Business Plan

Illustrate the marketing and sales plan

The startup life cycle

Analyze the process for developing the operating plan

The Big Five model

Describe the sources of financing for the creation of "innovative startups"

The Business Model Canvas

Preparing a forecast income statement

The strategic positioning of the startup

KPI Indicators

The investment and depreciation plan

Motivational factors