This is the 3rd in a series of posts sharing CIE’s 10 Principles for Redefining Entrepreneurship. Read the previous entry, Respect: Yes. Gatekeepers: No.

Challenge: How can we remove all barriers so that the ONLY barrier is a person’s individual choice or lack of motivation or lack of initiative? What barriers can we reduce or eliminate?

Lesson #4: Business Plans = Barrier

Business plan writing courses are useful as a heuristic device – a convenient way to organize a business training program. However, a formal written business plan is often unnecessary and not useful – especially in the early stages of business development. Instead of teaching folks how to write a business plan, we teach them how to discover and validate a business model.

Lesson #5: Business Courses = Barrier

Life happens. Folks with limited resources might be one flat tire from financial ruin, juggling multiple demands, and working around the margins.

The conventional model is long trainings (8+ weeks) offered from time to time (quarterly), where dropouts start over.

Group activities are necessary for efficiency. To be accessible, however, they must be short, frequent, modular and prioritize “show stoppers,” so people can quickly cut to the chase and pivot, or hit pause, deal with life, and return later to pick up where they left off – quickly and whenever.

Next up in our series, lessons 6 & 7 will give you guidance on where to start your training.