Plan Forward Training Program

Plan Forward

Entrepreneurial Education Curriculum for Community Organizations

To be effective, entrepreneurial education should be comprehensive, easily accessible, and user-friendly. eL3’s Plan Forward™ curriculum encourages the students to embrace the process of discovery, test their beliefs, pivot when necessary and develop a business model that they will execute successfully.

program gols

Support entrepreneurs in their journey of Turning their Dreams into Reality
Help established businesses determine growth model
Provide quality training at a competitive price
Partner with community and government organizations to bring quality entrepreneurial training to their communities

Problem defined

The challenge when teaching business planning is that a majority of the students are trying to write a business plan with little or no knowledge of how to start and run a business successfully. Business planning curriculum focuses more on filling out a business template instead of teaching how to create and test a business model for its financial viability and prepare for their new role as business owner.

EL3 solution

Create a flexible technology-based curriculum that is created by small business owners, designed for optimum learning by e-learning educators that connects participants to all of the community and government resources invested in their entrepreneurial success.

The curriculum includes:

comprehensive training materials designed on an easy-to-use lms platform that addresses all learning styles by incorporating a wide variety of media i.e. text, video, audio, social media, etc.
discovery questions, journal writing, and online student discussion boards
an el3 online resource library with 100’s of resources specific to business owners needs or customize your own resource library specific to your needs.
access 24-7 from the students’ mobile devices and computers.
downloadable course material.

Delivery flexibility

your students are seeking flexibility in their education. many adults trying to start their own business already have busy lives which include jobs, families and financial responsibilities. every business model has distinct advantages and challenges. your organization is challenged to meet those needs.

the program can be accessed on computers, tablets and phones. this accessibility encourages “learning in the moment”. depending on your students’ needs and your organization’s preference, the curriculum can be delivered in several different formats:

stand-alone on-line e-learning program (value-add to your organization’s offerings).
on-line e-learning with an on-line facilitator (on-line curriculum + coaching and feedback)-distance learning (extends the program’s reach).
flipped classroom* – on-line curriculum + face-to-face learning + coaching and feedback. the flipped class* turns the well-known platform instruction model on its head. because the student reviews the lecture material which includes reading, lectures, videos, discovery journaling and outside research. the designated class time is devoted to application exercises that include group activities, class discussion, presentations, guest “expert” speakers and panel discussions. the facilitator is able to customize the learning activities to meet the needs of the students.

Created by small business owners

the plan forward curriculum was created by small business owners and designed by online educators. it can be used in a blended learning environment (online combined with face-to-face classroom time) or as a stand-alone elearning program. el3 offers an on-line facilitator training program for organizations that use the curriculum in their entrepreneurial programs. the plan forward™ curriculum has been successfully implemented by several colorado sbdc (small business development centers) and the colorado department of transportation in their 10-week leading edge business strategy classes.