Strategic Business Foundations
Learn a better approach to entrepreneurship and respectable residency in challenging situations.
Who this course is for: Anyone who is wondering whether it’s possible to start and run a profitable, socially impactful small business in another country.
NOTE: This course is a prerequisite for the three Profitable Startup courses.
Find the next time this course will be offered.
course outline
Session 1 — Be STRATEGIC
Use small business to establish a respectable, long-term identity in another country.
Reflect on four business priorities: 1) small, 2) simple, 3) profitable, and 4) moral.
Session 2 — Be Moral
Quadruple bottom line = Principles. Profits. People. Planet.
A moral framework for business:
Value work in business.
Do good deeds with business.
Share good morals through business.
(This session highlights key concepts from two 4-week courses — “Profitable Startup 1: Choose Better Ideas” and “Business Pivots: Develop A Better Business.”)
Session 3 — Be Entrepreneurial
6 keys to becoming an effective entrepreneur.
Negotiate more effectively in other cultures.
Navigate bureaucracy and corruption in other countries.
(This session highlights key concepts from two 4-week courses — “Profitable Startup 1: Choose Better Ideas” and “Bureaucracy, Corruption, & Negotiation.”)
Session 4 — Be Profitable
3 keys to starting a rapidly profitable small business in another country.
3 common startup mistakes. 3 firm foundations for your startup.
4 steps, 4 tools, and 4 decisions in the “Profitable Startup” process.
(This session highlights key concepts from two 4-week courses — “Profitable Startup 2: Plan To Be Profitable” and “Profitable Startup 3: Design A Better Startup.”)
bureaucracy, corruption, & negotiation
Learn 15 strategies for bureaucracy, 15 strategies for corruption, and 25 ideas for better negotiation.
Who this course is for: Anyone who wants the skills to live and work effectively in other countries.
This course equips you with moral guidelines, practical strategies, and real case studies.
Find the next time this course will be offered.
course outline
Session 1 — Reframe Your Perspectives
“Positive versus negative framing” affects your attitudes toward bureaucracy, corruption, and negotiation.
“Positive framing” increases your effectiveness in other cultures.
Sessions 2 & 3 — Negotiate More Effectively in Other cultures
9 common negotiating situations in other cultures.
25 ways to negotiate more effectively without damaging your reputation.
Session 4 — Moral Perspectives on Human Authorities
7 moral guidelines that will help you relate positively to authorities in other countries.
Sessions 5 & 6 — navigate Bureaucracy in Other Countries
15 ways to get things approved in other countries without making extra payments.
3 ways to get help from people in authority.
5 ways to uncover and adapt to bureaucratic rules and requirements.
7 ways to bypass obstacles and barriers you may encounter.
Session 7 — Moral Perspectives on Bribery and Generosity
12 moral guidelines that can help you avoid bribery while embracing generosity in other countries.
Session 8 — navigate Corruption in Other Countries
4 moral guidelines on making decisions in matters of conscience or “gray areas.”
3 morally uncomfortable situations in other countries: 1) requests for cash, 2) recommendations to ignore local law, and 3) recommendations to ignore your conscience.
15 ways to respond wisely in these morally uncomfortable situations without becoming ashamed.
profitable startup 1:
choose Better Ideas
Learn 12 keys to becoming an entrepreneur and 16 small business categories that work in many challenging situations.
Who this course is for: Anyone who is wondering whether they could become a successful entrepreneur in another country.
NOTE 1: The “Strategic Business Foundations” course is a prerequisite for the 3 “Profitable Startup” courses.
NOTE 2: The three “Profitable Startup” courses must be taken in sequence, because each course lays the foundation for the next course.
Find the next time this course will be offered.
course outline
Session 1 — Be Passionate
Wise motivations for doing business.
A passion for small business that helps others.
Session 2 — Be Entrepreneurial
12 keys to becoming an effective entrepreneur who can start successful small businesses in other countries.
Sessions 3-5 — Be Relevant
Three startup approaches. Useful business concepts.
16 business categories that work as viable small businesses in other countries.
Choose several business startup ideas to explore.
Session 6 — Be Careful
4 cautions when starting a business in another country:
1) Sources of funding for your startup.
2) Business reporting & taxation in your home country and your host country.
3) Business uncertainty & instability in other countries.
4) Business transitions when it’s time for you to leave.
Sessions 7 & 8 — Be principled
Quadruple bottom line = Principles. Profits. People. Planet.
Do good deeds with business = 7 moral priorities. 12 moral values. Moral profitability and generosity.
Share good morals through business = 7 keys to being morally visible at work. 8 ways to be morally interesting enough to get invitations into homes.
profitable startup 2:
plan to be profitable
Learn 3 keys to profitability, 7 startup mistakes to avoid, and 4 tools for planning a profitable startup.
Who this course is for: Anyone who wants the skills to transform a business idea into a small business that will succeed.
NOTE 1: The “Strategic Business Foundations” course is a prerequisite for the 3 “Profitable Startup” courses.
NOTE 2: The three “Profitable Startup” courses must be taken in sequence, because each course lays the foundation for the next course.
Find the next time this course will be offered.
course outline
Sessions 1 & 2 — Be Profitable
Morally appropriate ways to be profitable in business without becoming greedy.
3 keys to designing a small business startup that can be rapidly profitable in any country.
Sessions 3 & 4 — Be Stable
7 common startup mistakes. 7 firm foundations for your startup.
Sessions 5 & 6 — Be Intentional
4 steps, 4 tools, and 4 decisions in the “Profitable Biblical Startup” so you can design a small business that can succeed in any country.
This process was adapted from Lean Startup methodology, has been tested in multiple countries, and includes practical tools and tips for each step.
Compare the “Profitable Biblical Startup” with the “Traditional Startup” and “Lean Startup” approaches.
Sessions 7 & 8 — Step 1: Envision Your Business Plan
The “Two-Page Business Plan” outlines your plan for achieving Profits, living your Principles, and caring for People and Planet.
Quadruple bottom line = Profits. Principles. People. Planet.
10 boxes on Page 1 = your plan for Customers, Operations, and Profits.
8 boxes on Page 2 = your plan for Principles, People, and Planet.
7 practical ways to use the “Two-Page Business Plan.”
profitable startup 3:
Design a Better Startup
Learn 4 steps, 4 tools, and 4 decisions for a better startup.
Who this course is for: Anyone who wants the skills to transform a business idea into a small business that will succeed.
NOTE 1: The “Strategic Business Foundations” course is a prerequisite for the 3 “Profitable Startup” courses.
NOTE 2: The three “Profitable Startup” courses must be taken in sequence, because each course lays the foundation for the next course.
Find the next time this course will be offered.
course outline
Sessions 1, 2, & 3 — Step 2: Estimate Your Profit Potential
The “Profitability Spreadsheet” helps you calculate the profit potential of your business startup idea.
Make initial estimates using common sense and then improve those estimates.
Learn to use the “1-Year Profitability Spreadsheet,” the “5-Year Profitability Spreadsheet,” and create your own Excel spreadsheet from scratch.
Sessions 4, 5, & 6 — Step 3: Explore Your Assumptions, Unknowns, and Risks
The “Exploration Framework” helps you transform a plausible business idea into a profitable business model.
22 Product Exploration questions help you improve the solutions you plan to offer to your customers.
25 Customer Exploration questions help you find and persuade customers to buy your solutions at a price that works for your customers and your business.
23 Profit Exploration questions help you uncover flaws and opportunities in your cost, revenue, and profitability estimates.
Sessions 7 & 8 — Step 4: Evaluate Whether a Business Idea Is Worth Launching
The “Evaluation Framework” helps you evaluate whether a small business startup idea is worth doing and whether you should be the one to launch it.
3 documents, 3 actions, and 4 decisions provide a simple, structured process for evaluating any business startup idea.
Review the essential components and attitudes needed for an effective Business Launch Plan.
business Pivots:
Develop a Better Business
Prioritize the right customers. Simplify your operations. Make better decisions. Be more impactful.
Who this course is for: Anyone who wants better ways to manage profitable, socially impactful small businesses in other countries with less effort.
Find the next time this course will be offered.
course outline
Sessions 1 & 2 — 8 Customer Pivots
8 ideas that will decrease the effort needed to…
prioritize profitable customers (6 strategies) and solve un-profitable customers (2 strategies).
Sessions 3 & 4 — 8 Operations Pivots
8 ideas that will decrease the effort needed to…
improve your business operations (5 strategies) and improve your employees (3 strategies).
Sessions 5 & 6 — 9 Business Pivots
9 ideas that will decrease the effort needed to…
prioritize profitable opportunities (3 strategies), prepare for crises (4 strategies), and avoid burnout (2 strategies).
Sessions 7 & 8 — 5 Values Pivots
5 ideas that will decrease the effort needed to…
establish moral values for your small business (2 strategies) and create opportunities for deeper moral conversations outside of work (3 strategies).