University of Cumbria
Virtual Entrepreneur Centre
For Continual Professional Development Students
Our promise to CPD students
We will support you in your continuing professional development through providing quality and practical programmes that will help you to improve your current competency or even set you up to take a change in career direction.
Our certificate provides evidence of your new skills and our project-based approach will leave you confident to undertake the tasks ahead of you.
Benefits to CPD students
Not only will an entrepreneurial mindset give you the ability and confidence to build your own business and so open many more career options for you – it will also increase your employability if you decide to stay within a more traditional career path.
Our online platform allows you to follow the programme at your own pace and in your own time.
Certification provides evidence that you have obtained the skills and
Introduction to the entrepreneurial journey
Programme overview
This programme introduces the student to the concept of entrepreneurship and exposes them to the life of an entrepreneur – both the good and the not-so-good. Characteristics of entrepreneurs are discussed and the student is invited to take a self-assessment test to see where they may need to bolster their competencies as well as to see where their strengths lie.
Some of the typical pitfalls of starting a business are introduced together with an exposure to a proven, scientific process (lean startup) that increases ones’ chance of success. Motivational videos are also included.
All Mashauri programmes are based on project-based experiential learning that helps move the student toward developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
Our programmes use gamification techniques and ongoing monitoring to ensure high student engagement.
What type of student is this aimed at?
The course is aimed at students who wish to find out more about entrepreneurship and assess whether they are ready to start the process – as well as directing them how to take the early first steps. It is applicable to all interested in entrepreneurship and contemplating whether they should start the journey.
Craft and test your value proposition
Programme overview
This programme supports students in taking their business idea (problem and solution) and crafting it into a value proposition
They will develop and test a value proposition which includes market segmentation, assessing competition, developing a customer persona in the selected initial target market, crafting a value proposition and real world validation of that proposition.They will finish off by developing a draft business model – ready for the next step.
Students run through a series of steps that include lectures on the relevant task being undertaken, cases and examples, entrepreneurial stories, quizzes and assignments which represent the milestones in the journey (for instance a customer empathy map). The final assignment is a video of the student pitching their value proposition to a customer.
All Mashauri programmes are based on project-based experiential learning that helps move the student toward developing an entrepreneurial mindset. Not only does this set up the possibility of the student following an entrepreneurial career path; but the cognitive skills developed also will improve their value as a future employee and as such help to differentiate themselves in the market.
Our programmes use gamification techniques and ongoing monitoring to ensure high student engagement.
What type of student is this aimed at?
The course is aimed at students who have a strong desire to learn more about entrepreneurship and to start gaining experience with an idea that they have already developed.
This could be undertaken as an individual exercise or working in groups. In either case, each student will still run through all the steps of the programme but most of the assignments will be submitted by the group.
It is applicable to all levels from first year to post-graduate and is appropriate for all faculties.
Business model development and testing
Programme overview
This programme supports students in taking their value proposition into a full business plan, identifying the key assumptions and testing them in the market. It includes crafting a pricing strategy based on concepts such as cost of customer acquisition and customer lifetime value.
They will be introduced to several different types of business modelling tools and canvases and select the one most appropriate to their venture idea. They will build a minimum viable product (MVP) and attempt to make some early sales or at least get customer commitment to such (eg letters of intention).
Students run through a series of steps that include lectures on the relevant task being undertaken, cases and examples, entrepreneurial stories, quizzes and assignments which represent the milestones in the journey (for instance a business model canvas). The final assignment is a video of the student pitching their business to an investor.
All Mashauri programmes are based on project-based experiential learning that helps move the student toward developing an entrepreneurial mindset. Not only does this set up the possibility of the student following an entrepreneurial career path; but the cognitive skills developed also will improve their value as a future employee and as such help to differentiate themselves in the market.
Our programmes use gamification techniques and ongoing monitoring to ensure high student engagement.
What type of student is this aimed at?
The course is aimed at students who have already developed a validated value proposition and are committed to following their idea through to obtaining paying customers. As such, these are students who have demonstrated entrepreneurial ability and are likely to persevere to the end.
This could be undertaken as an individual exercise or working in groups. In either case, each student will still run through all the steps of the programme but the assignments will be submitted by the group.
Business planning and forecasting
Programme overview
You may hate finances and detailed business planning – and even heard that it is not necessary from some startup “gurus” – but sadly when you start talking to anyone who may want to invest in your business (investors, co-funders, employees), they will probably want to know that yo have thought this through thoroughly and at least have some idea of where you would like to get to. But do not worry, the exercise is useful and can be great fund as you hammer out things like price-volume estimates and calculate when you are likely to breakeven.
This programme is currently being upgraded and will be available at the beginning of Q4 2019. If you would like to find out more about it – or perhaps even help us co-develop it – then please drop me a line at simon.gifford@mashauri.org