Get Started with Small Business Entrepreneurship Course 2: Marketing a Business

Get the strategic and practical knowledge to take your new product or business to market

Welcome to Small Business Entrepreneurship - Marketing a Business, a practical online course designed to show aspiring entrepreneurs how to position their small business for market relevance, audience resonance, and competitive differentiation from the get-go.

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DESCRIPTION

Recommendation: To gain the foundations of your business venture, we recommend completing the first course in this series, Small Business Entrepreneurship - Starting a Business, before starting Marketing a Business.

Small Business Entrepreneurship: Marketing a Business (Course 2)

Marketing for small businesses and start-ups is essential. Do you have the know-how and tools to position your venture for growth? Rice University’s online business courses for entrepreneurs provide a convenient, yet interactive and hands-on, way to learn or brush up on practical entrepreneurship skills.

Taught by industry professionals from Rice Business, the #1-ranked Entrepreneurship Graduate Program in the U.S. (Princeton Review, Entrepreneur Magazine), learners will focus on core competencies like strategic thinking, audience analysis, engagement techniques, and practical marketing planning. Although 100% online, the course is hands-on and will enable you to develop marketing plans, customer journey maps, and even more tools to immediately implement as a busy entrepreneur or small business owner. Through a combination of engaging lectures, practical case studies, group discussions, interviews, and hands-on exercises, students will gain invaluable insights into the principles and best practices that define successful small business ventures.

Who should attend:

Aspiring entrepreneurs, start-up founders, or small business owners
MBA students or college students majoring in business or a related subject
Current small business owners, entrepreneurs, or leaders who need help crafting a business model canvas, pitch deck, or business plan draft

You will be able to:

Develop a comprehensive business positioning statement that accurately reflects the brand identity and unique value proposition of their entrepreneurial venture.
Identify and analyze target market segments, utilizing demographic and psychographic data to effectively engage potential customers.
Create detailed customer journey maps that outline the touchpoints and experiences customers have with the business, optimizing these for greater satisfaction and retention.
Familiarize yourself with the legal and regulatory aspects of launching and operating a small business, including business structures, permits, licenses, and intellectual property protection.
Master the art of selling, customer acquisition, and retention strategies to ensure long-term business success.
Scaling and Growth: Explore techniques to scale and expand your business while maintaining its core values and objectives.
Utilize various marketing tools and techniques to design and implement engagement strategies that build strong, lasting relationships with customers.
Construct a robust marketing plan that includes goals, strategies, and metrics for success, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and facilitating sustainable growth.

LECTURE SAMPLES

MEET YOUR RICE PROFESSORS

Craig Ceccanti

Craig is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Softeq Development Corporation, a technology consulting and full-stack development firm based in Houston. In his role as COO, Craig is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the company, focusing on optimizing processes to ensure efficient functioning. Craig is also a Managing Partner at Softeq Venture Fund, a fund dedicated to fostering the growth of early-stage tech startups. This unique dual role enables him to channel his passions for operational excellence, exceptional customer experience, and the flourishing of the startup ecosystem. He has remained involved at Rice University as an Adjunct Professor and Board of Advisors member for the Jones School of Business.

Bo Bothe

Bo Bothe is co-founder, President and CEO at BrandExtract, a brand strategy and experience firm located in Houston, Texas. He serves as a brand strategist while overseeing operations and corporate strategy for the firm. The firm’s work consistently earns local and national recognition for strategy and creativity from various trade associations and publications. He is a former President of the Jones Graduate School Alumni Association at Rice University and sits on the boards of the Kareem Jackson Foundation, Camp Cho-Yeh, the San Jacinto Monument and Lemonade Day Houston.