Benefits

• Learn entrepreneurial skills in preparation for starting or expanding your business
• Acquire skills to operate your home business
• Strengthen your business management techniques for increased success
• Gain skills for supporting entrepreneurs

• Complete the 6 required courses (56 hours)
• Can be completed within 1 semester up to a maximum of 3 years 

Required Courses

All courses in this program are offered each semester.

Introduction to Small Business and the Entrepreneurial Mindset
Explore the opportunities, benefits and life skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur. Gain insight into the knowledge, tools, psychology and culture of small business owners.

Developing a Successful Marketing Plan
Acquire practical marketing research strategies to help you understand the marketplace and connect you with your target market to achieve business success. Learn how to use competitive intelligence to understand your competition and position your business.

 Choosing Your Team and Managing Risk
Develop your management team by defining your business needs and locating the best people to support them. Assess risks encountered by small businesses and learn how to avert them, including legal considerations, government regulations, insurance needs, and other common business pitfalls.

Managing Small Business Operations, Growth and Human Resources
Define the day-to-day operations of your business as you learn about inventory management, operational strategies and growth tactics, all based upon four key types of business: service, retail, wholesale and manufacturing. Examine human resource management techniques including attraction, selection, training, retention, compensation and legislative rules in a tough labour market.

 Financial Planning and Management for a Small Business
Discover the importance of good financial record management and examine different financial management tools and techniques. Research the costs of operating your business and consider various aspects of cash management including cash flow, capital costs, income projections and financing based on cash needs.

Presenting Your Business Plan
In this course you will have the opportunity to present your own business plan to gain valuable experience in presenting to external groups and obtain feedback from your instructor and fellow entrepreneurship students.

 Optional Course

These courses are not required for your Entrepreneurship Certificate of Completion.

Business Plan Assessment
Incorporate the business skills you have acquired through the six courses into a business plan to be assessed and critiqued by a qualified instructor. Your instructor is available to advise and assist you and can provide direction for successful completion of a business plan suitable for presentation. Move forward with confidence and a greatly increased chance of success.
Please note: This is an optional course for students wishing to receive feedback on their completed business plan and is not a requirement of the certificate of completion.

 Taxation Basics
Learn 10 important concepts of taxation to help you gather the information necessary to do a basic business tax return. Understand what additional accounts need to be set up in the general ledger to facilitate ease in preparing for filling a tax return. A practical exercise is included in class time to reinforce the key concepts.

Refer to your Confirmation of Registration for course specific information. 

“The most realistic, applicable and eye-opening course I’ve ever taken – a must for anyone wanting to open a business.”   - Dina Jaher

“Amazing course. It has definitely set me on the right track to owning my own business.” - David Eyre

"This is by far the best entrepreneurship course I have taken. During the course I went from ignorant…to entrepreneur!"   - Joelle Kirby, Dental Hygienist 

He is president of Norman Leach & Associates, Inc., which specializes in integrated marketing communications (public, government, media relations and event management) and international trade development and management. With offices in Calgary, Alberta; Kansas City, USA; and Mexico City, Mexico, Norman's experience has taken him from North America to Europe to Asia to Latin America. He speaks Japanese, French and Spanish, and brings a true understanding of foreign markets to his clients.

Norman’s successes include establishing the Alberta Trade Office in Mexico City, being President of Grey Cup 2000, acting as an advisor to two provincial cabinet ministers and heading up two of Canada’s largest chambers of commerce. Today, he is the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce – Canada West.

Norman recently won the Alberta Export Awards Leadership Award for his career in promoting international trade.

Back to Top

Judy McMillan-Evans  MA
Judy McMillan-Evans is an adult educator with over 25 years of experience in both classroom and on-line instructional design and delivery. She is so excited about the world of education that in 2013, she completed a Master’s in Education. She also holds certificates in both adult education and group facilitation from Mount Royal University. 

Judy is the lead instructor and designer for MRU's Entrepreneurship program, a project she has led for 22 years. In 2006, Mount Royal University awarded Judy with their Distinguished Faculty/Teaching Award based upon her excellent student engagement and program results.

Judy is a generalist in the field of business, with over 40 years of business ownership. She loves to teach about entrepreneurship, business planning, human resource management, marketing, financial management and business operations. She is also a specialist in not-for-profit management and community economic development.

In everything she does, Judy offers fun, passion, experience, knowledge and creativity with a strong focus on quality education.