This module introduces the entrepreneurship certificate programme and serves as a useful foundation for subsequent modules on the programme. Participants will be exposed to the types of entrepreneurs that exist, their traits and the venturing process.

Entrepreneurs in pursuing their vision must not lose sight of the regulatory environment within which they must operate. In addition, their legal status and tax matters must be carefully planned, irrespective of organizational size. This Module takes the entrepreneur through those essential steps that must be critically examined to have a structured organization, minimize unnecessary payments, protect their investments and position them as good corporate citizens.

Meeting Customers’ expectations is now regarded as the basic minimum. Exceeding their expectations and making service “memorable” is fast becoming the new standard for customer-focused organizations. In this module, you will learn how understanding their needs and going the extra mile to exceeding them makes the difference to your relevance in the marketplace and the ultimate sustainability of your organization.

If getting the right people is considered a challenge, motivating employees of small organizations to think and work like the entrepreneur is even a greater challenge. Yet, people make it happen! This module will help participants understand how to recruit good people, train and retain them. In addition, it will also help participants understand how to motivate their employees in order to unleash their potentials for organizational growth.

For organizations to compete effectively, they must produce or provide their services faster, better and cheaper than competition. These are the key pillars of productivity. Integrating these into the operations of any firm transforms it into a cost efficient and operationally effective organization. Participants will learn how to identify and remove operational bottlenecks so that their organizations can be highly responsive to the industry they operate in.

The module will examine the moral, ethical principles and issues that arise in the business environment. The module will also examine the perception of Business, Corporate Social Responsibility to the society, the roles and responsibility of business principles and business morality.

The Leadership Essentials programme intends to enhance the participant’s capacity to be effective in leadership roles and processes. Further, the participants will be able to explain and model their learning to others in their organizations. This in turn, contributes to their organizations capacity to enact the necessary leadership tasks.

Potential business alliances have been lost because of unintentional breach of etiquette; this module is about building relationship with colleagues, clients or customers. It will expose participants to how business potentials can be maximized by presenting themselves and their businesses favorably.

Having a fantastic product is no longer enough a clear plan on how to make it available at the market place and beat competition is critical to the bottom-line. Also to be constantly relevant in the market place, entrepreneurs must understand the market dynamics and how his organization fits in. This module helps you to develop all these into a workable marketing plan.

One of the greatest hindrances to SME funding and indeed growth is undoubtedly the inadequate keeping of Business records. Even when such records are kept, they are often not available in a format that helps the entrepreneur take quality decisions. Similarly, investors and funding organizations are not able to make meaningful conclusions with respect to the enterprise- thus denying the enterprise of the much-needed capital for growth. This module has been designed to be hands-on, at the end of which participants are expected to develop usable financial recording system for their firms and how this process can be automated.

One of the biggest challenges small enterprises face is that of short-term orientation. However, in order to be truly successful, organizations (especially small businesses) must think long-term. Strategies for growth has been designed to assist participants develop a conceptual framework for the planning process, build competitive edge to outperform competitors and above all, learn ways of effective implementation of these long-term plans. Computer-based strategy simulation will help participants sharpen their strategic planning abilities.

In today’s information age, no business can survive without the use of technology. Increasingly, small businesses are competing effectively with large organizations through the use of appropriate technology. This module will help participants focus on how ICT strategy can be deployed in every facet of the business, leading to cost reduction, efficient organization and overall business growth.

Many business concepts never go beyond the “Idea” stage. Even for functional businesses, they tend to lose focus during implementation. Developing a business plan helps participants to rigorously think through their business concept and develop a roadmap with specific milestones from the concept to the functional stage. This module will help entrepreneurs develop not just a business plan but unfolds what must be done for a successful implementation.

A Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management will be awarded by the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan-Atlantic University to participants who have attended all the modules. Those who complete the CEM will also be entitled to become alumni of Enterprise Development Centre.