For an idea to be converted to a successful business there must be a business opportunity that can be derived from the idea. Most ideas are not business opportunities and this is an important element of Entrepreneurship. Many Entrepreneurs spend time and money trying to develop a business out of an idea, which is not really a business opportunity.

Thus ‘Opportunity Identification’ is a very important part of creating a viable business. The objective here is to use the two elements of customer and market dynamics to determine whether an idea is indeed a viable business opportunity.

Participants will learn how to create a viable Value Proposition that is required by customers and for which customers will pay to use the product or service.

The next step is then to develop a ‘Business Model’ out of the opportunity. There are many possible business models, yet many Entrepreneurs fail to understand what a good business model is and without a good business model even good ideas will be unable to generate revenues and profits.

Very few entreprenuers truly “market” their product or business. To most entreprenuers, marketing equals sales. This is a misconception and one that entreprenuers must understand in order to build a sustainable business venture.

This module will cover key elements of marketing and will particularly focus on new and necessary marketing strategies that should be used in this day and age. The goal is to develop a marketing plan for securing early adopters for your business.

This module will also cover key principles and important techniques that are relevant to selling to your first customer or early adopters in particular in the B2B setting.

The coaching aspect of this module will emphasize the identification of the most valuable target market based on the 80/20 rule,  determining the best methods through which to acquire those customers, and strategies to retain customers for the long term. Entrepreneurs will learn to develop and then apply an effective marketing and sales funnel for the business. In this programme, we will also teach and coach you on how to build and implement tactics for building business via Referrals and increase Repeat Purchases by existing customers of your business.

Strategic considerations are essential for any company that wants to grow its business. The two most important strategies are having a ‘Differentiation’ strategy and  ‘Strategic Positioning’. To have a differentiated strategy, companies must firstly understand and evaluate the competition and their offerings, not just in terms of a feature by feature comparison but more importantly based on the product offering and sustainable competitive advantages.

Companies must show how their offerings are ‘differentiated’ from the competition. This will enable them to create a Positioning Strategy vis-à-vis their competitors. If the company and product/service are not positioned correctly within the market and within the competitive space, a company cannot scale and grow.

The coaching for this module will delve into selected commercialization models like licensing (both in-licensing and out-licensing), IP acquisition and sale for expansion and various distribution models.

Once the companies have identified the commercialization model(s) that best suit their strategic plans, this module will delve into the intricacies of the deal, the do’s and don’ts and recognizing risks and how to overcome them. Case examples will be the basis of the module to illustrate challenges faced when implementing expansion plans.

This module will also touch on Business Model Innovations and look at innovative business models applied by companies to achieve growth.

The coaching for this module will deal with identifying and creating the Entrepreneur’s real “Dream Vision” (DV). This is the BIG VISION of the Founder and what he wants the company to be in the next 5 years. The first step to a Global Company is having a Dream Vision. Once this “Dream Vision” has been identified the Entrepreneur will then be required to draw up a Roadmap for achieving this “Dream Vision”.

The Roadmap will include among others; setting actionable goals, a strategy for growth and setting Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for financial and operational targets.

The main objective will be to THINK BIG and to leapfrog the company from a small Malaysian company to a large regional company over a 5 year period.

The “leap first, ask questions later” approach to globalisation often used by Entrepreneurs is the main cause of initial market failure. Creating a viable Strategic Plan for Globalisation is critical for success. In this module we explore several aspects of such a plan especially in the two critical areas of International Market Selection and Choice of Entry Mode.

We explore with the Entrepreneur the highest potential market(s) that he can and should enter and delve into the best entry modes for the selected market(s). We also review in detail the potential for high growth in these markets and the scalability of the chosen market entry modes.

Once Companies have identified the highest potential markets and market entry strategies they have to manage the resources available and also manage the risks associated with growth and scale. This will include identifying gaps within the organisation’s resources especially human and financial resources and identifying potential risks associated with globalisation including regulatory, financial and economic risks.

As lack of financial resources is an inherent problem in many companies, this section will also cover two funding options available for high growth technology ventures – Venture Capital & Angel investments.

There is very little understanding of how VCs and Angels evaluate a business for investments and this has led to a very low level of entrepreneurial funding and hence leading to fewer companies having the resources to grow and go global.

Process, HR & Governance

a) IPO Checklist & Process

Understand how to project manage the IPO and review the key IPO processes and typical timelines.

b) Human Capital

Review and assist in strengthening the management team and preparing management and staff for the IPO process

c) Corporate Governance & Due Diligence

Explore Corporate Governance issues and Directors’ Responsibilities, Obligations & Risks and understand the requirements and processes of Legal, IP & Financial due diligence

Finance, Corporate & Valuation

a) Financial Restructuring

Review and learn about improvements to financial and management information systems and preparing the company for a post-IPO financial structure.

b) Corporate, Business & Tax structuring

Review, reorganize and streamline corporate and business structures.

Managing the corporate & tax structure to maximise stakeholder returns, meeting legal compliance and ensuring competitiveness

c) Valuation and Financing

Exploring the different valuation methods and mechanisms; Financing options (including underwriting and venture capital financing); Share Placement & the Book-building Exercise

The Prospectus & Post IPO Obligations

a) Prospectus and Admission Documents

Understanding the Context, type and structure of the Prospectus & other Admission Documents as well as the drafting process and requirements

b) Post-IPO Obligations

Incorporates Post-IPO responsibilities, continuing obligations, Public  & Investor Relations and Corporate Responsibility for Brand Building

c) IPO Process Review

Reviewing the IPO process checklist and determining and addressing weaknesses