Entrepreneurship is extremely difficult (the understatement of the century).
It’s stressful.
It’s rewarding.
It’s not for everyone.
This course is the manual we wish we’d had when we started our business together in 2015. Looking back we realised there were a number of key questions we could have and should have asked that would have saved us time, heartache, and money—money that we’d worked long and hard to save.
Even after going through that process we don’t have all the answers. What we do have is questions. Questions you need to ask yourself before you dive headlong into your own business.
Our business idea turned out to have a number of critical faults—faults that we did not see because we were blinded by ‘the riches that we’d be making in no time at all’. Faults that in retrospect (it’s always easier in retrospect) we could have identified if we’d asked the right people the right questions.
The Six Day Business is the direct result of what we learned from our experiences.
YOUR JOURNEY
Every business started somewhere, and that somewhere was not just about reading and planning. You actually need to take an important first step, putting your idea/s down on paper.
Think of The Six Day Business as kind of a prequel to many business books on the market today. We provide you with just enough content to get started and the rest—you taking action on the questions that we ask—is up to you. So…
We want to get you doing, not reading. We also want (nay, insist!) that your ideas down and put them in to pracice.
IS THIS COURSE FOR YOU?
It’s for you if…
- You’ve had a business idea in your head for years but don’t know where to start.
- You’re overwhelmed because any business book you pick up is 400 pages long and makes you take no action.
- You understand business but don’t know where to start with your own idea.
- You are helping/mentoring/coaching/advising someone who wants to start a business but struggles to take that first step alone.
- You have a relative/friend/partner who keeps talking about their incredible idea but as far as you know, has never taken any action. This course is a polite way of saying “just get on with it.”
- You’ve started businesses in the past and know how much time/energy it can take if you don’t ask the right questions at the start.
- You want to try something new.
- Business seems to be something that ‘other people’ do and you don’t think you’re able to do it (You Are Able!).
INTRODUCTION
“An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory”
Friedrich Engels
The Six Day Business is that ounce of action. It’s that first step to get you started.
There are literally thousands and thousands of books available to help you grow and scale your business but they’re sometimes overwhelming and very dense tomes—we’re talking 300+ pages of content!
What is usually missing from those books is how to take action—and action is key. In our minds taking one simple, small concept and applying it with rigour is much more rewarding than being inspired by many great ideas, but not applying any.
The Six Day Business, written by and for aspiring entrepreneurs, is for anyone who has a business idea that they want to test. The testing process will help you decide whether you should pursue an idea further.
The beginning of any business is a very exciting time and with it can be the temptation to drop everything you’re doing, invest your life savings, create a 94-page business plan outlining where you’ll be in five years and often comes the shock when it doesn’t work (we’ve been there).
If you’ve ever watched Dragon’s Den or Shark Tank you’ll have seen this sad progression—from excitement to shocked disappointment—time and time again. Many many times we’ve said to each other “I really hope this person didn’t invest their life savings in this.” More times than not they did, and it’s tough to watch. Especially since we now know that isn’t the way to go about it.
We don’t want this to happen to you, and as with anything, you need to start from the beginning. We know that you think it’s a great idea, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. But have you talked to others about your idea? Or even better, have you sold any of your product to others?
Don’t quit your day-job yet—you owe it to yourself to grab every chance to succeed. Think of this as a safe place to test the idea without putting everything on the line.
I know you’re keen to get going, but first, spend a few hours with this course over the next six days to form your big idea and take it ‘to market’ in a simple form. You can complete each step in a few hours a day, and if you’re really dying to work on this idea you’ll be able to fit it in before or after work (we’d never recommend doing it AT work…). And if you’re in-between jobs, then even better, you’ll be able to get started quicker!
THE RIGHT TIME
There will always be a reason (money, family, time) for it not to be the ‘right time’ to try out your business idea but in reality, there’s never a perfect moment. Now is the right time. Get started, and see where it takes you. After all, it’s not quitting your job—it’s testing your idea cheaply and quickly.
These six days, in Six Day Business, will get you closer to making your business a reality. This course is designed to:
- Give you a step-by-step guide to developing your core idea
- Give you the confidence to talk to family, friends, and customers
- Help you decide whether it’s a good idea, and whether to continue working on it
- Help you figure out your next steps—if you’ve decided to move forward with your great idea
Let’s go.
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Introduction
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Day One - Plan & Research
- 1.1 – WHY START THIS BUSINESS?
- 1.2 – WHAT WILL YOUR BUSINESS DO?
- 1.3 – WHAT BRANDS OR BUSINESSES DO YOU ADMIRE?
- 1.4 – WHO ARE YOUR CURRENT COMPETITORS?
- 1.5 – WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE SELLING POINT (USP)?
- 1.6 – WHO IS YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER?
- 1.7 – WHERE DO YOU SEE A DEMAND FOR THIS PRODUCT?
- 1.8 – WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY?
- 1.9 – WHAT COMPLEMENTARY SKILL SETS WOULD BE VALUABLE?
- AT THE END OF DAY ONE
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Day Two - Prototype
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Day Three - Brand Identity
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Day Four - Marketing
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Day Five - Go To Market
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Day Six - Reflections and Next Steps