From Student to Building Your First Business

Follow this plan to learn key skills and create your first business project. You'll design, build, and share a real business idea by winter 2025.

Weekly Hours: 10
Estimated Weeks: 11

Phases

Explore Business Ideas

Start by learning what makes a good business. Explore simple ideas and talk to possible users to check what people might need. Choose one business idea to develop as your showcase project.

2 weeks

Understand what problems businesses solve
List common business types (e.g., food, tutoring, online store)
Practice talking to people and asking questions
Select and define your showcase project idea

Idea discovery (e.g., brainstorming)
Basic market research (e.g., surveys)
Communication (e.g., asking open questions)
Project definition (e.g., writing a one-page summary)

Business Idea Guides
Beginner Market Research Resources
Survey Tools
Simple Business Planning Templates

Submit a one-page summary of chosen business idea
Collect feedback from three real people (e.g., family, friends, students)

Plan and Design Your Business

After choosing your idea, learn how to plan your business simply. Set clear goals. Sketch how your service or product will work. Outline basic money needs and find out what features or details matter most.

2 weeks

Break down your idea into simple steps
Sketch a basic version (e.g., website, flyer, menu)
List what you need to start (money, tools, help)
Write goals you want to reach

Basic planning (e.g., to-do lists, timelines)
Visual design (e.g., drawing, using Canva)
Simple budgeting
Goal setting

Business Model Templates
Design Tools for Beginners
Simple Budget Templates
Goal-Setting Worksheets

Create visual mockup (e.g., website sketch or product photo)
List 3 startup needs (e.g., supplies, permissions, prices)
Set 2 clear, measurable goals for your project

Build Your First Business Version

Now, make the first working version of your business. Use simple tools (web builder, flyer, service listing). Ask people to test or use it. Prepare to fix basic problems and document each step.

3 weeks

Build the first version of your product/service
Share it with at least three testers
Collect and review feedback
Make simple changes based on suggestions

Creating content (e.g., website with Wix, handmade sample)
Testing with users
Feedback analysis
Problem solving

No-Code Web Builders
Printing Services
Simple Feedback Tools
How-to Guides

Show first version to three people (e.g., demo with photos/screenshots)
Create a feedback summary document
Make one improvement based on user advice

Learn the Basics of Running a Business

Discover what it takes to run a business, such as sales, keeping simple records, and basic online presence. Learn tips for good teamwork or going solo. Try ways to get your first customer.

2 weeks

Understand simple sales and marketing basics
Learn how to track small expenses and income
Create a basic contact form for leads
Set up your business presence online

Making offers (e.g., sales message)
Keeping simple records (e.g., sales, costs)
Basic online setup (e.g., Google My Business, simple contact form)
Customer communication

Intro to Bookkeeping Resources
Online Presence Guides
Beginner Sales/Marketing Guides
Simple Form Builders

Create a basic sales flier or online ad
Show your business to the public (e.g., social media, simple website)
Log first lead or customer contact

Present, Test, and Improve

Bring your project together. Test your service or product with more people. Ask for clear feedback. Document what works and what you can improve. Practice explaining your business confidently.

2 weeks

Test with at least five people
Record results and feedback
Update project based on test results
Practice your project pitch

Testing with new users
Simple reporting (e.g., feedback chart)
Making simple improvements
Project presentation

Pitch and Demo Templates
Feedback Collection Tools
Improvement Checklists
Presentation Guides

Make final presentation slides or a demo video
Show before/after improvements in a written summary
Collect at least five tester reviews

Weekly Plan

Week	Focus	Why	Tasks	Deliverables
1	Discover and choose a business idea	Finding the right idea is the first step for your business.	List five problems you care about, Brainstorm business ideas (mind map), Ask two people what they would use or pay for	Shortlist of three business ideas
2	Validate your idea and define the project	Testing the idea with others avoids wasting time later.	Write one-page idea summary, Create a quick survey (Google Forms), Collect feedback from three people	Idea summary and survey results
3	Plan core features and design mockups	A plan and sketch make building easier.	List top 3 features of your business, Sketch your product or service (pen and paper or Canva), List what resources you need	Feature list and simple business sketch
4	Set goals and basic budget	Goals and budget help track your business progress.	Set two SMART goals, Make a simple budget (spreadsheet template), Map the step-by-step launch plan	Goals doc and simple budget file
5	Start building your first product or service version	It's time to make a real product for users.	Create product or set up web page (Wix or leaflet draft), Ask one person to test setup, Fix one issue found	Draft product or working web link
6	User testing and feedback	Feedback shows what to fix and what works.	Share your product/service with three people, Collect written feedback, Note all issues users mention	Feedback summary
7	Make improvements based on feedback	Fixing real issues improves your business and helps your users.	Prioritize top 2 improvements, Update your product or service, Write update notes	Before/after update log
8	Set up basic business operations	Operations get your business ready for real users or customers.	Create tracking sheet for sales and costs (spreadsheet), Make a basic sales flyer or online post, Set up a contact form	Sales flyer or online post and working contact form
9	Launch to first real customers	Real launches teach you how your business really fits needs.	Share your business with at least three new people, Track first leads or contacts, Record questions or requests	Lead log and notes
10	Test, report, and update your business	Regular testing finds new ways to grow or improve.	Test with two more users (new group), Summarize results in short chart, Update business or service based on test	Test results chart and update summary
11	Present your project and reflect	Presenting wraps up your work and shows your progress.	Make slides or demo video, Write a before-and-after summary, Collect and show five user reviews	Presentation slides or video, user reviews

Daily Plan

Monday

Review weekly goal
Work on main project task (e.g., brainstorm, build, test)
Write a short note about what you learned

Tuesday

Continue main task (e.g., design, surveys, updates)
Reach out for feedback
Update your task list

Wednesday

Check your progress vs goals
Fix or improve something small (e.g., design, text)
Record key lesson learned

Thursday

Finish main work for the week
Share draft with someone for input
Log feedback or results

Friday

Make any final edits or improvements
Prepare and submit the week's deliverable
Reflect and plan a small step for next week