Unfolding Wings

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workshop description Unfolding WingsMaking going independent as easy as possible, covering the basic steps to start a small business – from filing for a fictitious business name to considering financial requirements. Perfect for people just starting out!

  • Duration: 4 weekends, exercises in midweek
  • Type: Accelerated learning and stress modules
  • Maximum number of participants: 8 – 16

Workshop consists of 4 consecutive weekends plus midweek application exercises. Satir workshops organises and facilitates the required stress modules, pull marketing, market research, scenario planning and retrospective exercises in the weekends and the open space meeting in the fourth weekend, and midweek exercises for taking it into real life for a real business are to be added for each local context, preferably by a local business consultant/facilitator/coach.

Weekend 1 – Scenario planning and regulations

Learn how to draft a one page business plan, and assess the advantages of acquiring premises or working from home. The first weekend includes exercises for sorting out local legislation and running your business in a legal and ethical way. Most importantly, in a simulation, from stories, and by cross training and gaining, we’ll also explore some key reasons why businesses fail and how to make new mistakes. Being an in(ter)dependent, whether that is as Reiki master, carpenter, car-mechanic, care-giver, consultant or shopkeeper, is a life style. Doing that with success requires discovering when to use which stance. (See About scenario planning)

Weekend 2 – Sales and marketing

How can you make a name for your business? That you have to be the first to market to become a success is a myth. If there are no competitors, is there really an opportunity? By learning how to conduct market research and assess the competition you can get off to a good start. Learn how to gather useful feedback for steering your business with, and if fitting for your purpose, use pull marketing and the “free economy” for effective promotion at low cost. During this weekend we will set you up for all of that. And not just that, we’ll do it in such a way that you can make it your own and continue with confidence. (See About WyrdWeb)

Weekend 3 – Finance and accounts

Cash flow forecasting and bookkeeping. This weekend covers presenting and reviewing your business plan, exploring different ways to raise funding, and how to turn your business into an attractive proposition for the chosen strategy. Participants present their business (plan) to each other, and we improve what we can. (See Sensible business start-up questions (examples))

Weekend 4 – And in the future?

Once you’ve participated in this workshop, support from Satir Workshops as well as from other (and previous) participants continues. Participants set up the schedule at the beginning of this weekend. This open space is all about the questions you still have, for making (more) connections, and for getting specific help you need as you start and continue steering your business through its first year. We end with a retrospective process of the workshop. A simple process that you can make your own and has you all setup for regularly reviewing progress of your business. And we’ll keep in touch if and when you choose to! (See About open space and About retrospectives)

Example: Interesting Times (on Moebius site)

Sensitivity to investor needs

Logical case, rationale

Opportunity

First hand knowledge of customers and end-users

Intellectual property position

Market and competitive risks

  • Cap’ns summary

Reflecting understanding of pricing

Sustainable competitive advantage

Strategies

Strength of commercialisation strategy

Concepts/objectives for organisational elements

Contingency planning

Presentation

  • White Paper Agile Organisational Sculpting (pdf)

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