Business Roadmap workshops include:

1. How to Start a Business in Arizona  - This workshop will lay down the foundational knowledge that a new business owner would need to know and consider when launching a business. The roadmap style of this session will provide the attendee with the foresight on creating their business plan according to the initial framework needed to start a new business venture.  

2. The Legal Ins and Outs of Startups - As new business owners narrow down the focus of their “big idea”, much of what assists this idea stage process is to understand the variety of legal entities available for small businesses to operate under. This workshop will provide the breakdown of permitting, licensing, insurance and other necessary considerations for a successful enterprise. 

3. Understanding Your Target Market and Value Proposition - The ReferenceUSA database is one of the most valuable and resourceful tools offered by public libraries, and is accessible at no cost to Phoenix Public Library cardholders.  This session shows how ReferenceUSA can be utilized to broaden the awareness of a business’s customer base by creating strategic marketing plans and understanding/defining the competition.  An additional workshop will be provided on branding and how to use your brand to grow the value of your business. 

4. Evaluating and Estimating Your Costs and Pricing Part 1 - An introduction to examining how and why financial literacy is so important to starting and maintaining a successful business. The workshop will review basic accounting methods, examine financial statements and illustrate the value of understanding the business’s bottom line.  

5. Evaluating and Estimating Your Costs and Pricing Part 2 - A continuation of the previous session, this workshop will build upon what was learned by teaching the skills needed to create a 12-month cash flow, show how to avoid financial mistakes, and identify methods to grow your business.  

6. Building Your Sales Projections and Setting Milestones - Participants will use all the skills learned in the previous sessions to build the foundation for smart business forecasting. This session will develop the visionary component of entrepreneurship and business growth.  

7. Access to Capital - One of the most imperative components in every entrepreneur’s mind is quick access to a cash flow pipeline in order to launch their new venture. This session will define the various methods of raising the initial investment needed to pilot a new business. Various options will be reviewed including: bank loans, venture capital, angel investing and crowdfunding.  

8. Launching Lean - Rather than a rapid startup, this session will nail down the most accurate methods to begin a lean new venture by cutting out the extra luxuries. The workshop will also provide the means to begin applying an individual growth strategy that works for their business model.