Choose a defensible position
Define a specific customer, costly problem, alternative, promise, and evidence without claiming to serve everyone.
BM-201 · Expert program
Small Business Operator
Build the operating system behind a small business: position, pricing, cash, sales, delivery, and review.
Recommended pace8–10 weeksWeekly study8–10 hrs/weekTuition$229 USDFormatSelf-paced
EMPLOYER NETWORKPractical work designed for conversations with hiring teams.
US EMPLOYERSAGENCIESSMALL BUSINESSESNONPROFITSPartnership approach →Program overview
01What this course is really about.
Starting a business is not one decision. It is a set of linked choices about whom to serve, what to promise, how to price, how work will be sold and delivered, and how much cash the system requires.
This course uses scenario planning rather than motivational language. You will make assumptions visible, test the economics, create a sales rhythm, document delivery, and decide which numbers deserve weekly attention.
The capstone is a 12-month operating plan designed to help you run the business—not impress a competition judge.
A good fit
This course is likely right for you if…
- 01
You have a business idea and need to test whether it can operate, not just whether it sounds attractive.
- 02
Your small business has customers but relies too heavily on the owner remembering everything.
- 03
You advise small businesses and want a stronger operating framework.
What you’ll learn
02What you should be able to do by the end.
Each outcome is practiced inside the weekly assignments and brought together in the final project.
Model the economics
Set prices from value and cost, estimate capacity, model margin, and build cash scenarios.
Create a sales rhythm
Design lead sources, qualification, follow-up, proposal, and pipeline review around a clear offer.
Systemize delivery
Document the work, quality checkpoints, capacity limits, and customer communication.
Manage through a small scorecard
Choose weekly and monthly indicators, conduct reviews, and revise the plan when assumptions change.
What the work looks like
Three outputs you will learn to build and explain.
These are working documents, not decorative portfolio screens. Each one connects to a weekly assignment and becomes part of the final project.
Operating snapshot
Connect customer demand, capacity, cost, cash timing, and team ownership on one page.
01Current constraint02Owner03Weekly measure
Decision memo
Frame the choice, assumptions, tradeoffs, and evidence needed before committing resources.
01Decision02Options03Risk
90-day operating plan
Translate a goal into milestones, accountabilities, review points, and contingency actions.
01Milestone02Accountable person03Review date
Week by week
Your complete study plan.
The suggested schedule creates momentum without pretending life is predictable. Lessons remain available if you need more time.
Week 1Position and customer
Make the business easier to understand and easier to choose.
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Position and customer
Make the business easier to understand and easier to choose.
LESSONS COVER
- Customer segment
- Problem evidence
- Alternatives
- Positioning
- Offer design
WEEKLY WORK
Deliverable: Positioning and offer brief
Assessment: Market position exam
Week 2Pricing, margin, and cash
Understand whether the offer can support the business you want to operate.
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Pricing, margin, and cash
Understand whether the offer can support the business you want to operate.
LESSONS COVER
- Pricing methods
- Unit economics
- Capacity
- Cash scenarios
- Break-even
WEEKLY WORK
Deliverable: Financial model
Assessment: Small-business finance exam
Week 3The sales engine
Turn inconsistent outreach into a visible pipeline.
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The sales engine
Turn inconsistent outreach into a visible pipeline.
LESSONS COVER
- Lead sources
- Qualification
- Discovery
- Proposals
- Pipeline metrics
WEEKLY WORK
Deliverable: Sales process and pipeline
Assessment: Sales operations exam
Week 4Delivery without chaos
Create consistency without turning the business into bureaucracy.
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Delivery without chaos
Create consistency without turning the business into bureaucracy.
LESSONS COVER
- Service blueprint
- SOPs
- Quality checks
- Capacity planning
- Customer communication
WEEKLY WORK
Deliverable: Delivery playbook
Assessment: Service operations exam
Week 5Performance and people
Build a management rhythm that does not depend on constant emergency.
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Performance and people
Build a management rhythm that does not depend on constant emergency.
LESSONS COVER
- Roles
- Goals
- Scorecards
- Meeting rhythm
- Vendor and contractor management
WEEKLY WORK
Deliverable: Management operating system
Assessment: Performance management exam
Week 6The 12-month plan
Combine the work into scenarios and a practical sequence of commitments.
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The 12-month plan
Combine the work into scenarios and a practical sequence of commitments.
LESSONS COVER
- Scenario planning
- Risk
- Capital needs
- Quarterly priorities
- Review and revision
WEEKLY WORK
Deliverable: 12-month operating plan
Assessment: Final operator defense
Final practical project
The 12-month small-business operating plan
Choose your own business or use the provided commercial-cleaning company scenario. Demand is growing, but the owner needs to make hiring, pricing, and capacity decisions without reliable operating information.
What you will submit
- ✓Positioning and offer
- ✓Pricing and margin model
- ✓12-month cash scenario
- ✓Sales pipeline
- ✓Delivery playbook
- ✓Weekly scorecard
- ✓Quarterly roadmap
- ✓Risk register
FINAL SUBMISSION
BM-201
Your name
The 12-month small-business operating plan
Prepared byYour name
01Positioning and offer
02Pricing and margin model
0312-month cash scenario
04Sales pipeline
05Delivery playbook
This preview shows the structure—not a fabricated student result.
How you’re assessed
You have to do the work—not just play the videos.
Your certificate records completed study and demonstrated understanding. It does not claim accreditation, licensure, or guaranteed employment.
Learn and practice
Read the lessons, study the examples, and complete the guided weekly deliverable.
Pass each section
Score at least 80% on every weekly exam. Explanations and retakes support mastery.
Finish the project
Use the capstone checklist and rubric to produce one connected body of work.
Receive the record
Unlock a numbered, verifiable certificate of completion after all requirements are met.
How the learning can be used
Where these skills show up.
These are realistic applications—not promises of a title, salary, client, or job offer.
At work
Small-business operatorOperations managerBusiness consultantGeneral managerFounder or independent service providerIn a business
Validate the operating modelPrice with better informationMake cash needs visibleStandardize sales and deliveryPlan hiring around capacityTuition
Straightforward pricing.
No subscription is proposed for launch. You will see the complete price before payment and the refund policy before enrollment.
EXPERT PROGRAM · BM-201
Small Business Operator
$229USD
- 8–10 weeks recommended pace
- All written lessons and resources
- Weekly section exams and retakes
- Practical capstone project
- Certificate of completion
Questions before you decide
Course FAQs
Is this course live or instructor-led?+
No. Small Business Operator is fully self-paced. The recommended schedule runs for 6 weeks, but you can slow down or move ahead as your time allows.
How do the exams work?+
Every week ends with a scored section exam. You need 80% to pass. After submitting, you can review explanations, return to the relevant lesson, and try again.
What does the certificate represent?+
It records that you completed the lessons, passed all section exams, and submitted the final practical project. It is a non-credit certificate of completion, not an academic degree or professional license.
How long will I have access?+
The proposed purchase includes ongoing access to the course materials and future corrections to the version you enrolled in. Final customer terms will confirm the exact access policy before paid enrollment opens.
Is the expert level right for me?+
Choose Expert if you already understand the core vocabulary and can complete routine tasks without step-by-step support. This pathway spends more time on judgment, systems, edge cases, and portfolio-quality work.