This class will meet for 2.5 hours over Zoom once a week for four weeks.

If you are ready to start a small business or are very new to business, this class is for you! Start Smart is a four-week course where you will learn the basic tools and business fundamentals needed to start up successfully. You will work with a Business Model Canvas (a visual hands-on tool) to get your ideas down on paper, test, refine and confirm concepts, and adjust your conclusions about customer needs.

Outcomes:

• Learn how to define your vision
• Create a mission statement
• Assess your skills, passion, and resources
• Craft a business strategy to match your reality
• Test the viability of your products and services

Class Ground Rules

As a Start Smart participant, you agree to:

• Have your camera turned on during all class sessions and be ready to actively participate
• Complete all required readings and submit assignments between classes
• Select ONE business idea for which you will complete all course assignments
• Submit a Business Model Canvas by the last class and conduct a short presentation

*We strongly encourage students to join using a computer to get the best experience. Phones can be utilized if there is no other option available.

Instructor: Beth Houtrow

Beth has 15+ years of experience supporting nonprofits, tech companies, and small businesses from inception to scale. She is now focused on helping the new wave of small business owners tackle the reality of operating a business. Passion for your product is a great starting point, but Beth helps you develop the skills and know-how to run a successful business. In addition to her work as a business coach, she is also the founder of Climb – The Small Business Book, a community of founders working together to learn and grow their busninesses

There is a new way to register! You can now register using your client profile. By setting up a client profile, you will not have to fill out the same personal information for each workshop you register for, making it faster and easier in the long run! 

a)  If you already have a Client Portal Profile, click the Register button below.

• In the Client Portal, go to the Calendar tab (top left) and select Start Smart Spring 2023 (WBC 01/10/2023) click enroll, answer the questions, and submit! You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link.

b) If you don’t have a Client Portal profile, create one at this link. Make sure to use the same email address you have used in the past with Renaissance. You may change it later, but this allows our system to recognize you. 

If you already have an intake form on file, you’ll see the Calendar tab in the top left.

If you do not, you will need to fill one out before you can see the Calendar tab. It may also ask you to update your information.  The user interface isn’t perfect, so make sure to scroll up and keep clicking “Continue” or “Sign” in order to complete the forms. If you have any problems during this, please contact Isla Covarrubias at wbc@rencenter.org.

Once the Calendar tab is visible, you can register by going to your profile’s calendar tab and selecting Start Smart Spring 2023 (WBC 01/10/2023), hit enroll, answer the questions and submit! You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link.

You can also watch this video that will show you step by step how to create the Client Portal

Client Portal Profile – DEMO

If you have any questions about the class or you have problems with creating a client profile, please do not hesitate to email wbc@rencenter.org!

Renaissance WBC is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the SBA. All SBA programs or cosponsored programs are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made, if requested, at least 2 weeks in advance. Contact: Isla, Isla@rencenter.org, (415) 348-6227