The Course
Ever wondered how a simple idea develops into a fully-fledged business empire? Well, get ready to find out. This program will guide you through the crucial stages of conceiving, launching, and scaling a business. We’ll use Analytics as a core concept that informs smart decisions, we will look at the lightbulb moment, every business's conception stage, we will review market & product validation, where ideas the real-world test. From there, we’ll sail through the stormy waters of establishing your brand, optimising operations, and growing and ultimately divesting your business.
It's not just about theory; we will use real world examples to give you practical insights. By the end of our time together, you'll have mastered the art of surviving the 'valley of death' phase and learned to use data to navigate the scaling and sustaining stages that ensnare so many. We will introduce a business development model that will test the outcomes of your plan before you invest in it. You'll equip yourself with the insight to anticipate challenges, seize opportunities, and take savvy steps toward business maturity. This course isn't just a learning experience; it’s a blueprint to building a legacy.
What you will learn
When I first envisioned this course, it was meant to be a "core dump" of years of experience and months of research. However, it quickly became clear that it's data that plays a pivotal role in every decision. This led me to examine why businesses succeed or fail by analysing the outcomes of many companies and working backward from the results.
What I discovered is that business outcomes can be traced to specific, measurable categories. This understanding answered a crucial question: success or failure is rarely due to a single event. Instead, there are multiple contributing factors, all of which can be predicted or mitigated with the right insights.
This led to the identification of 10 Determinants of Success. While these determinants are logical, they are also cross-functional, which presents an inherent challenge in business. Typically, we hire an accountant for numbers, a salesperson for sales, and a production manager for output. But real success is achieved when the production manager has some understanding of sales, strategy, HR, and finance.
The solution? Develop a business model where every key performance indicator aligns with the overall business goal. This can only be achieved through data-driven metrics and the alignment of the leadership team.
No matter the shape, size, structure, or stage of the business, aligning business outcomes with these 10 metrics will dramatically improve your chances of success.
These measurements will test strategies, product viability, leadership strength, and operational performance. They will inform critical decisions about investments, acquisitions, and turnarounds—all without emotional bias.
While getting data analytics right takes some effort, the rewards are undeniable. In answer to the question, "What will you learn?"..you'll learn
The difference between success and failure!
Curriculum
- Introduction to Data Analytics
- Unlocking Business Success Through Analytics (Article & Crossword)
- Analytical Techniques & Software
- Descriptive & Diagnostic Analytics
- Predictive & Prescriptive Analytics
- Software Tools & Techniques
- Glossary of Terms used in Data Analytics
- Quick Quiz - Data Analytics
- Case Study #1 : Eco Goods Ltd
- Case Study #1: Assignment
- Introduction to the 10 Determinants of Success
- 1. Market Demand
- Market Demand - Glossary of Terms
- Market Demand - Unlocking Success - Article & Crossword
- 2. Capital Availablility
- 3. Management Experience
- 4. Business Model Viability
- 5. Marketing Effectiveness
- 6. Operational Efficiency
- 7. Customer Satisfaction
- 8. Economic Environment
- 9. Legal & Compliance
- 10 Innovation Capability
Your tutor
Gerry Skews' career has spanned 40 years and 3 continents. He has worked in many industry sectors and in every stage of the business development cycle.
Not only has he worked in senior management with start ups, spin outs and multinationals he has founded, run and divested several of his own.
Gerry Skews possesses a robust background in business development, accrued through years of hands-on experience nurturing startups and guiding established enterprises towards new avenues of growth. With a highly analytic and strategic approach, Gerry has successfully maneuvered a variety of business environments, fostering innovation, driving sales, and building strong, effective teams. This experience makes him ideally suited to lead a course on the transformative journey businesses embark upon, from seedling ideas to flourishing ventures.
As an educator, Gerry's developed "Business Development with Data Analytics" and its related business forecasting model to design a course that transcends mere instruction; it is a manifestation of his unwavering commitment to imparting the wisdom and insights gained from his professional endeavors. His belief in the potential of each business to evolve through the business cycle energises his teaching methodology. Gerry's dedication to sharing his knowledge ensures that his students are not only prepared to face the dynamic challenges of the business world but are also inspired to innovate and excel throughout their own careers.
Informative
Developing the future you
Engaging
Developing a roadmap for success
Comprehensive
Developing life long learning skills