Entrepreneurship for technicians

Course guarantor:

Lecturer:

Tutor:

Supervisor:

Department of Management and Economics

Synopsis:

The course introduces entrepreneurship to engineering students as a relevant and attractive path for their future careers. The curriculum is strongly oriented towards practical skills the core of the course is a team-based semester project where students gradually develop a „step-by-step business plan“ for their own business idea.

Requirements:

Basic knoledge from the course Management a Economics of the Enterprise

Syllabus of lectures:

Week 1: Introduction to the Course and Entrepreneurial Thinking Course mission and content, introduction to the semester project, and an introduction to finding and generating business ideas based on framework case studies.

Week 2: Basics of Business Planning (Methodology for Phase 1 of the semester project) Explanation of the Lean Canvas model as the primary tool for idea definition and the application of SWOT analysis for the development of a new product or service.

Week 3: Entrepreneur vs. Employee Comparison of the role and mindset of an entrepreneur versus an employee in a corporation or a small company, including sharing personal experiences, advantages, and risks when starting one's own business.

Week 4: Know Your Customer and Environment (Methodology for Phase 2 of the semester project) Macro-environmental analysis using PESTLE, market segmentation, detailed customer characteristics, competitor analysis, and marketing mix (4Ps) design.

Week 5: Marketing Strategy in Practice Creation of an applied marketing strategy for new technical and innovative projects, including an overview and practical use of current marketing tools.

Week 6: Financial Planning I. Costs and Revenues (Methodology for Phase 3 of the semester project) Basics of financial management in a start-up, identification of one-time initial investments (CAPEX), operating expenses (OPEX), and creation of a sales plan including pricing.

Week 7: Financial Planning II. and Sources of Financing (Methodology for Phase 3 of the semester project) Calculation of expected profit/loss, Cash Flow prediction, Break-Even Point (BEP) determination, and an overview of options for acquiring capital for implementation.

Week 8: Personality of a Manager and Leader The role of a manager in accelerating and managing business development, focusing on team building, motivation, leadership, and key „soft skills“.

Week 9: Minimum Entrepreneurial Legislation Legal forms of business, steps required to start a company, and forms of employment relations.

Week 10: Introduction to Intellectual Property (IP) Introduction to the protection of intellectual property (patents, utility models, trademarks) and IP licensing.

Week 11: Business Story From Idea to Realization A realistic case study of a start-up, demonstrating overcoming initial obstacles, pivoting, product development, and real experience with starting a company.

Week 12: Most Common Mistakes of SMEs and Current Trends Summary and analysis of typical mistakes leading to the failure of companies in their initial and growth phases, and a discussion focused on specific current business trends.

Week 13: Course Conclusion and Evaluation A comprehensive summary of key points from the entire semester, feedback, and the final course evaluation by the students.

Syllabus of tutorials:

Seminar 1: Discussion and initial formulation of the business idea topic. Work on the first version of the Lean Canvas (LC) model and SWOT analysis.

Seminar 2: Finalization of the Lean Canvas (LC) and SWOT analysis, defense of Phase 1 of the student project.

Seminar 3: Work on PESTLE analysis, competition, customer segmentation, and their characteristics.

Seminar 4: Finalization of the analysis of the external environment, customers, and competition, defense of Phase 2 of the student project.

Seminar 5: Work on the financial part of the business plan, specification of parameters for securing financing.

Seminar 6: Finalization of the financial part of the business plan and financing, defense of Phase 3 of the student project.

Seminar 7: Evaluation of the comprehensive business plan project.

Study Objective:

The main objective of the course is the systematic support and development of entrepreneurial and managerial competencies among engineering students. The course aims to guide students through the comprehensive process from an initial business idea to the evaluation of its real market and financial feasibility in a practical business environment.

Study materials:

Materials on the e-learning portal: https://moodle-vyuka.cvut.cz/

Note:

Further information:

No time-table has been prepared for this course

The course is a part of the following study plans: