Online ExpertTrack in Business & Management

How to Become an Entrepreneur: From Design Thinking to SWOT Analysis

Gain expert knowledge in developing and evaluating your own business opportunity in a range of entrepreneurial environments.

Created by

Coventry UniversityCoventry University

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Find out how innovation and entrepreneurship affect society and global business

What’s the key to being a world-leading entrepreneur?

This ExpertTrack blends theory and practice to enhance your understanding of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship. You’ll have the opportunity to examine the tools needed to set up your own venture – or to bring an innovative and entrepreneurial vision to an existing organisation.

You’ll have a chance to learn how to create value, how to manage innovation and how to tackle the challenges facing new business ventures.

And you’ll find out how to recognise the structural changes that lead to entrepreneurial opportunities and innovation by drawing on your own experiences, using case studies and real-life examples.

Learn the business benefits of social entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs don’t just make businesses more successful – they help make the world a better place. You can find out how to create social value through innovation and ‘intrapreneurship’ – the practice of acting like an entrepreneur to be a better leader and problem-solver.

Discover how business ethics can supercharge your startup

What are the challenges and issues of being more ethical in business? From the gender balance and entrepreneurship in different cultures to fostering a more ethical workplace, you’ll discover the strategies, innovation management and types of innovation required to build a more future-minded organisation.

FAQs:

Will this ExpertTrack cover how to do a SWOT analysis?

A SWOT analysis is used to assess a company’s position before you decide on a new strategy. It examines four aspects of a business: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It can help you make the most of an organisation’s resources, allow you to plan competitive strategies – and reduce the chances of failure. You’ll learn how to use these as part of this ExpertTrack.

Key skills you will learn

  • Innovation and entrepreneurship in a business context
  • Social value creation
  • New venture creation
  • Corporate venturing
  • Intrapreneurship
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Creating sustainable innovation
  • Risk management
  • Managing teams
  • Communication
  • Problem solving

Learning outcomes

By the end of the ExpertTrack, you’ll be able to...

  • Discuss a range of theories, frameworks, models and methods of innovation management at the individual and organisational level
  • Apply theories, frameworks, models and methods of innovation management, enterprise and entrepreneurship to a new venture or in another entrepreneurial/entrepreneurial context
  • Demonstrate an understanding of value creation through the interconnection of innovation and entrepreneurship in the development, survival and sustained growth of a business or social enterprise

Experience required

It’s recommended that you have two years of work experience to take this ExpertTrack – whether it’s as a student or in a work environment.

Getting started

This ExpertTrack is designed for anyone interested in applying entrepreneurship principles to their daily lives.

It will be of particular interest to people in business development, recruitment and business management roles looking to take their career to the next level.

ExpertTrack course overview

  • Course 1

    Explore what makes a good entrepreneur and how applying an entrepreneurial approach can create economic and social value.

    2 weeks

    5 hours per week

    • Week 1

      Conceptualising Innovation and Entrepreneurship
      • Introduction to innovation and entrepreneurship
      • Core concepts
      • Entrepreneurship as task, process, traits or outcomes
      • Coming up next
    • Week 2

      Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practice
      • Value creation
      • Types of entrepreneurship
      • Innovation and entrepreneurship practice
      • Coming up next
  • Course 2

    Adopt a creative mindset in order to develop your business idea and overcome resistance to innovation.

    2 weeks

    5 hours per week

    • Week 1

      Ideation
      • Introduction to creativity and innovation
      • Creativity and innovation explained
      • Ideation
      • Coming up next
    • Week 2

      Process of Innovation
      • Process of innovation
      • Making a change
      • Coming up next
  • Course 3

    Do you have a new business idea or opportunity? Learn how to assess the viability of your idea to help make it a reality.

    1 peer-graded assignment

    2 weeks

    5 hours per week

    • Week 1

      Starting and/or Growing a Business
      • Opportunity identification
      • Operationalising the opportunity (implementation)
      • Coming up next
    • Week 2

      Business Opportunity Implementation
      • Assessing demand
      • Risk identification and management
      • Teams and their value in implementing a business opportunity
      • Summary and reflection
  • Course 4

    Investigate why businesses succeed or fail in a range of entrepreneurial contexts.

    1 test

    2 weeks

    5 hours per week

    • Week 1

      Evaluating the Business Opportunity
      • Entrepreneurial success and failure
      • Understanding business failure
      • Business failure statistics
      • Coming up next
    • Week 2

      Success and Failure in Different Entrepreneurial Environments
      • Business success
      • Differences between entrepreneurial environments
      • Summary and reflection
  • Course 5

    Learn how to foster an entrepreneurial culture in business and take a critical view of innovation and entrepreneurship in society.

    1 peer-graded assignment

    2 weeks

    5 hours per week

    • Week 1

      The Impact of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
      • Linking theory with practice
      • Contemporary issues in innovation and entrepreneurship
      • Coming up next
    • Week 2

      Fostering Entrepreneurship and Innovation
      • Ethics and entrepreneurship
      • Entrepreneurship in different cultures
      • Fostering an entrepreneurial culture
      • Summary and reflection

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

  • Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
  • Complete each course and pass assessments.
  • Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
  • Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
  • Make your career dreams a reality.

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How ExpertTracks work

Join an ExpertTrack to master new skills in your chosen specialist area. Work through a series of topic-focused courses at your own pace, and pass the final assessment to earn a digital certificate award which proves your expertise.

Join a free 7-day trial

Decide if the ExpertTrack is right for you with free access to the full suite of courses and assessments for a week.

Keep learning for $39/month

Pay a monthly subscription fee of $39 for as long as it takes you to complete the ExpertTrack. You can learn at your own pace and cancel at any time.

Earn digital certificates

Receive a certificate for every completed course and pass the final assessment to earn a digital certificate.

Become an expert

Use your specialist training to progress further in your career or build expertise in areas you’re passionate about.

World-class learning with Coventry University

Coventry secured 5 QS Stars for Teaching and Online Learning in the QS World University Ranking 2020 and has received No. 1 in the world for Massive Open Online Courses in MoocLab’s World University Ranking 2021.

  • Established

    1992
  • Location

    Coventry

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FAQ

ExpertTracks are a series of online courses designed to help you master new skills in specialist areas. You pay a monthly subscription fee which includes access to all courses within the ExpertTrack, as well as assessments and the final digital certificate.

Each ExpertTrack comes with a 7-day free trial period. You may cancel your subscription at any time and your subscription will automatically cancel when you finish the courses and assessments in your chosen ExpertTrack.

Yes. All of our ExpertTracks come with a 7-day free trial. You may claim one free trial period per ExpertTrack.

You have seven days before you will be charged your first monthly subscription fee. When you join an ExpertTrack you automatically receive a 7-day free trial period. You can cancel at any time during the trial period and no payment will be taken from your account.

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No, all of our ExpertTracks consist of fully online courses. This means you can take an ExpertTrack from anywhere in the world.

No. ExpertTracks are designed for you to master new skills in a specialist area. You will earn a digital certificate that proves your learning, but it does not carry accreditation.

If you’re looking for certified or accredited courses, many of our microcredentials offer university credit or professional certification.

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