Building a startup? Start with MaRS Entrepreneurship 101.

The world of technology and business has never been more exciting. Disruption and breakthroughs can come from anywhere. The best time to launch a startup is right now.
MaRS’ Entrepreneurship 101 (E101) free online course equips you with the skills you need to launch a successful startup. Learn how to create opportunities, find smart creative solutions and move fast. Staying ahead of the marketplace takes bold ideas and strong execution. E101 will help you turn your startup idea into reality.
Get an overview of the course curriculum and see if this course fits your current startup stage.
Next course date: May 22, 2017
Registration opens: April 24, 2017
Course format: Online video lessons, Slack group discussions, readings and solo work
Time commitment: 5 hours per week
E101 is a five-week online course made up of five separate units. You should plan to dedicate around three hours each week to complete it.
During the course, you’ll engage with experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts, as well as your fellow cohort through meetups and digital forums.
Participants who have successfully completed the course will be eligible for a Certificate of Entrepreneurship.

Key dates:

April 24, 2017: Cohort 3 course enrolment opens
May 22, 2017: Cohort 3 course begins
May 29, 2017: Final day to register for Cohort 3

What to expect:

• Hands-on, practical and actionable. We send you out of the virtual classroom after each lesson to apply the concepts to your own company.
• Taught by entrepreneurs. You’ll have the opportunity to engage weekly some of the best startup advisors, entrepreneurs and experts in the MaRS community.
• Cohort-based learning. Ask questions, share lessons and engage with other early-stage entrepreneurs in Ontario, Canada and around the world, who are just as passionate about building a startup as you are.

Course learning objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will learn to:

• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify business opportunities
• Develop your startup’s value proposition
• Deliver a compelling elevator pitch
• Identify the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to validate your product
• Create customer personas and conduct customer interviews
• Create a business strategy using the Business Model Canvas
• Define key financial and startup metrics to measure growth and traction
• Build a viable financial model for your product
• Develop your fundraising strategy
• Identify the legal needs of your startup and start planning an IP strategy
• Define and test various marketing channels and build your brand strategy
• Operate as an effective startup founder and team leader