Post Graduate Programme in Management

2015-16 TERM: VI

TITLE OF THE COURSE: START-UP BASICS (WORKSHOP)

CREDITS: 2 COURSE: WORKSHOP No. of Section: 1

Instructor: Email: Tel. Number Faculty Block and Room No.
Prof. DL Sunder sunder@iimidr.ac.in 522 A-110

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course deals with the basics of starting your own business. It introduces
entrepreneurship as a career option and highlights the importance of developing an
entrepreneurial mindset. Topics like how to recognize opportunities, how much to plan
and how to write a good business plan are covered. The course also deals with the nitty-
gritty of starting a new venture.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. To help students understand what it means to start your own venture.

2. To increase awareness about entrepreneurship as a career option.

PEDAGOGY/TEACHING METHOD

As the course is delivered in a workshop mode, it will have a mix of lectures, role plays,
cases and field work.

EVALUATION Weightage
Class participation 50%
Final Presentation of the start-up 50%
Total 100%
SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS

Module I Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Module Objective:
To increase awareness on entrepreneurship as a career option and how to look at things
from an entrepreneur's perspective

Sessions and Objective

Session 1: What is entrepreneurship?
Objective: To develop an understanding of what entrepreneurship means and why it can
be an attractive career option.

Readings:
1. Dahl D (2011) Top ten reasons to run your own business. Available at
http://www.inc.com/guides/201101/top-10-reasons-to-run-your-own-
business.Html
2. Sarasvathy S D (2010) - What makes entrepreneurs entrepreneurial? Darden No.
UV 1356. Also available on the net at
http://www.effectuation.org/sites/default/files/documents/what-makes-
entrepreneurs-entrepreneurial-sarasvathy.pdf

Session 2: Why entrepreneurship?

Objective: Presentation from students why they want to start their own business and
discussions with reference to the readings provided in the previous session.

Case: D.L. Sunder (2013) To Be Or Not To Be (Part A). IIM I Case.

Session 3: Opportunity recognition

Objective: To help participants understand
a) The difference between exploration and exploitation while identifying
opportunities.
b) How these opportunities are evaluated.

Mini Cases:
a) W. Somerset Maugham () - The Verger available at
http://www.sinden.org/verger.html
b) The enterprising doctor (will be presented in the class).

Session 4: Debrief on opportunity identified by the participants.

Objective: To understand how opportunities are recognized and the types of
opportunities.

Reading:Mullins J W (2010) - My opportunity: Why will or won’t it work. Chapter 1 of

“The new business road test”. FT Prentice Hall.
ModuleII Business Planning

Module Objective:
To understand the role of planning in a start-up

Sessions and Objective

Session 5: The elements of a business plan.
Objective: Understand what a business plan is and how to write a winning plan.

Reading:Sahlman W A (1997). How to write a great business plan. HBR.

Case: D.L. Sunder (2014) To Be Or Not To Be(Part B). IIM I Case (in class distribution).

Sessions 6 and 7: Participants business plan presentation.

Objective: To discussions the business plans presented by the participants and
identifying how they could be improved.

Module III The process of starting a new venture

Module Objective:
To understand the Nitti gritty of starting a new venture.

Sessions and Objective

Session 8: The legal requirements and source of funds.
Objectives:
1. To understand that all start-ups should comply with a minimum set of legal and
statutory requirements.
2. To understand how entrepreneurs finance their ventures.

Session 9: The private limited company vs. limited partnership

Objective: To understand the difference between the two forms of legal entities.

References to various websites will be provided and an expert will give an invited talk.

Session 10: Q&A

Objective: To respond to various questions the students may have on starting and
successfully running a new venture.

A successful entrepreneur or a panel will be invited to respond to the questions.

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