Day 10: It's Business Time, the details

IMG_2811 You might be asking, "So, just what is "It's Business Time" all about, anyway?"

And, "Why is there an egg in that photo?"

(Well, the rest of this blog post will answer the first question. And the answer to the second question is, I've been "spring cleaning" old files on my computer and I found this one from a Pysanky workshop I took a couple of years ago with my mom. I thought it would be a neat, random illustration for this post, especially since Easter is just around the corner.)

Anyway, here we go: the details of the program that I'm crowdfunding in order to take. (The campaign, by the way, hit 50% today!) This post will just be about what the program offers; I'll answer some Frequently Asked Questions in a later post (questions like, "why are you going off-island for this expertise?").

Who is offering it? Three very legit, very awesome entrepreneurs who live in the United States. Their names are: Tiffany Han, Michelle Ward, and Erin Cassidy.

Can I see a video about it? Yes, here.

How long will it take? 6 months.

When does it start? April 6th.

Will you have to travel? No. Lessons and coaching are delivered via the Internet, either through email, Skype, or online conferencing software. There is also a private Facebook group.

Is it an accredited program, like an MBA? No.

What do you get for your money? In a nutshell, I get structure, coaching and branding from the three women running the course, as well as the support of the nine other participants.

But to get real specific, here are all the goodies of the course, as written by Tiffany, Michelle and Erin:

  • A weekly email lesson (delivered on Mondays) designed to help you uncover, design, and articulate your dream business
  • A weekly group call (every Friday at 10am PST) with Tiffany and Michelle where we’ll give you personal feedback on your homework assignment and address any roadblocks or next steps
  • A private facebook group for ongoing support and community-building throughout the course
  • A private coaching session with Michelle (to occur from April-June) to get crystal clear on your meaningful business idea
  • A private session with Tiffany (to occur from July-Sept) to clarify and articulate your authentic business brand
  • A private website and visual brand orientation with Erin (to occur in September) to walk you through your new online home
  • A private call with Erin, Michelle, and Tiffany (to occur in September) to formalize your next steps and solidify your “out of the nest” action plan

You also get a full branding package that includes:

  • A custom type treatment logo design
  • Color palette and font family tailored to fit your brand’s style.
  • Style guide with all the details for your design.
  • Logo files in all the popular formats, so you’ll be set for web and print. PLUS editable AI and PSD files in case you need to make changes down the road.
  • A custom 3-page Squarespace website that includes:
    • A customized template design
    • Your first 3 pages set up and ready to go (complete with photos chosen to match your branding)
    • One contact form
    • A newsletter sign-up box
    • Mailchimp integration and customized mailchimp header
    • Social media buttons linked to your accounts
    • Free domain registration with an annual Squarespace account
    • One free year of hosting
    • Squarespace’s intuitive, easy-to-use content management system (CMS), Search Engine Optimization, and built-in website analytics
    • Training / instructions for making changes to your new website

And here is the Curriculum, again written by the three program leaders:

First: We start where you are and with what you already know and we’ll lay all of your Big Dreams on the table and start to make sense of how they fit into the big picture of your life and what you want for yourself.

Next: You’ll design your personalized Career Compass to serve as a guide in your biz journey and craft your first offer – and get your first guinea pig client! (Don’t worry! It will be fun!)

Simultaneously: While you’re learning All The Things from your guinea pig client, you’ll be developing your mission statement and putting all of the pieces together.

Then: We’ll move into branding your big vision – how do you talk about what you do so that your Ideal Client will listen?

While: At this point, Erin will be crafting your logo and you’ll be starting to write the copy for your new custom website.

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Sounds super rad, right? Well, I'm so excited about it! And I'll be sharing what I learn, as I go along through the program, so do stay tuned to this blog to learn with me. I'm also going to be working with a Business Counsellor at Business Cape Breton, as well, to work on creating a business plan as I go through the course.

The IndieGogo campaign is here if you haven't yet contributed and you'd like to, and as always, feel free to leave a comment! I love hearing from you.

xo Leah