JumpStart Course Content - Intern Learning Experience

JumpStart!
Intern Learning Experience
Version 1

JumpStart! Intern Learning Experience v. 1
Copyright © Digital Opportunity Trust, 2014
http://dotrust.org

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JUMPSTART VERSION 1
TO B E U SED A T T HE B EGINNING O F S TARTUP! F OUNDATION S KILLS D EVELOPMENT
COURSE T O A LLOW I NTERNS T O D EVELOP M ARKET D RIVEN B USINESS I DEAS T HAT
THEY W ILL T HEN E XPAND O N D URING S TARTUP! F OUNDATION S KILLS
DEVELOPMENT. J UMPSTART I S A LSO U SED F OR T HOSE S TARTUP! F OUNDATION
PARTICIPANTS W HO H AVE N OT T AKEN R EACHUP!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
JUMPSTART VERSION 1 .................................................................................................................. 1
Dual Purpose Program ............................................................................................................... 8
Objectives .................................................................................................................................. 8
Target Audience ......................................................................................................................... 8
Course Description ..................................................................................................................... 8
Materials .................................................................................................................................... 9
JumpStart at a Glance ................................................................................................................ 9
WELCOME AND EXPECTATIONS .................................................................................................... 11
Logistics – 3 minutes ................................................................................................................. 12
Icebreaker: Connect Through Our Passions – 30 minutes ........................................................... 12
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 12
Large group exercise – 20 minutes .............................................................................................. 12
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 13
Set ground rules – 20 minutes ................................................................................................... 14
Overview of agenda – 20 minutes ............................................................................................. 14
MODULE 1, ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS .......................................................................................... 16
Module Overview ...................................................................................................................... 18
Hero-‐Entrepreneur Story – 40 minutes ...................................................................................... 18
Record entrepreneurial story – 20 minutes ................................................................................. 18
Review and add details – 10 minutes .......................................................................................... 19
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 19
Group Activity: What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs Successful? – 90 minutes ...................... 19
Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories: John – 10 minutes ................................... 20
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 20
Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories: Doris – 10 minutes .................................. 20
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 21

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Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories: Pat – 10 minutes ...................................... 21
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 22
Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories: Maria – 10 minutes ................................. 22
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 23
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................. 23
Your Entrepreneurial Characteristics – 30 minutes .................................................................... 23
Entrepreneurial self-‐assessment – 20 minutes ........................................................................... 23
Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 24
MODULE 2, MAP YOUR ASSETS ..................................................................................................... 25
Read Before Facilitating This Module ........................................................................................ 27
Where Are We? – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................... 27
What Are Assets? – 20 minutes ................................................................................................. 28
Personal Assets – 15 minutes .................................................................................................... 30
Map your personal assets – 10 minutes ...................................................................................... 30
Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 30
JumpStart Assets – 20 minutes .................................................................................................. 30
Identify interesting JumpStart Assets – 15 minutes .................................................................... 30
Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 30
Community Assets – 60 minutes ................................................................................................ 31
Brainstorm community assets – 40 minutes ............................................................................... 32
Assemble the map – 5 minutes ................................................................................................... 32
Collect interesting community assets – 15 minutes .................................................................... 33
Focus Your Asset Perspective – 15 minutes ............................................................................... 33
Homework: Two Innovative Objects – 20 minutes ..................................................................... 34
MODULE 3, GENERATING IDEAS .................................................................................................... 37
Icebreaker: Crazy Wish – 10 minutes ......................................................................................... 39
30 second innovative object pitch – 15 minutes ........................................................................ 39

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Group Activity: Introduction To Business Idea Generation – 10 minutes .................................... 39
Activity: The Worst Idea Ever – 20 minutes ............................................................................... 40
Brainstorming – 15 minutes ........................................................................................................ 40
Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 41
Group Discussion: Sources Of Ideas – 40 minutes ...................................................................... 41
Activity: Find your business ideas in different sources – 10 minutes .......................................... 43
Activity: Find your business idea in the newspaper – 15 minutes ............................................... 43
Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 44
Form Your Business Teams – 30 minutes ................................................................................... 44
Overall Debrief – 10 minutes ..................................................................................................... 45
MODULE 4, THE OPPORTUNITY MARKETPLACE ............................................................................. 46
Activity: Plot Your Opportunities – 45 minutes .......................................................................... 48
Group discussion – 10 minutes .................................................................................................... 48
Feasibility plot– 10 minutes ......................................................................................................... 48
Improve your idea’s position – 15 minutes ................................................................................. 50
Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 50
Who Is Your Customer? – 20 minutes ........................................................................................ 50
What Problems Do Your Customers Have? – 15 minutes ........................................................... 52
Identifying the problem – 5 minutes ........................................................................................... 52
Write three problem statements – 10 minutes ........................................................................... 53
Solutions to Your Customer Problems – 20 minutes .................................................................. 53
Your Sales Story: Better, Faster, Cheaper – 15 minutes .............................................................. 54
Write Your Value Propositions – 10 minutes ............................................................................... 54
Create a Commercial – 35 minutes ............................................................................................ 55
Create your commercial – 10 minutes ......................................................................................... 55
Get feedback – 3 minutes per group ........................................................................................... 55
Improve Your Value Proposition – 15 minutes ........................................................................... 55

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Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 56
What’s Your Superpower? – 20 minutes .................................................................................... 57
Overview of the Next Five Weeks – 10 minutes ......................................................................... 57
Set Context for StartUp! Foundation – 15 minutes .................................................................... 58

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DUAL PURPOSE PROGRAM
The Jumpstart program has two purposes:
1. to provide StartUp! Foundation Interns with a starting business idea that they can then take
into the StartUp! Foundation experience
2. to provide StartUp! Foundation participants who have not gone through ReachUp! with a
start-‐up business idea to explore during StartUp! Foundation
This document delivers the Jumpstart experience for StartUp! Foundation interns.
OBJECTIVES
JumpStart prepares participants for confident participation in the StartUp! Program. The main
outcome of JumpStart is to produce a viable business idea based on the entrepreneurial skills and
assets a participant has.
By the end of JumpStart, participants will:
• Check the feasibility of their business idea against available assets, their entrepreneurial skills and
the attractiveness of the idea to them and their customers
• Be able to articulate and present their idea in a comprehensive way
• Get to know their customer and what problems their customer faces
• Come up with competitive and innovative business ideas through ideation techniques
• Become aware of their entrepreneurial potential through a self-‐assessment process
• Identify the entrepreneurial competencies they possess and which ones they must develop
• Become familiar with DOT learning process and DOT concepts of empowerment and sustainability
TARGET AUDIENCE
JumpStart targets the participants who:
• did not go through ReachUp!

• have an interest in starting a business but are without an idea
• have an idea but little business experience
• are currently running a business
COURSE DESCRIPTION
JumpStart is a “fast-‐track” course that can be taken instead of ReachUp! to prepare people for the
StartUp! Foundation Skills Development course. JumpStart addresses issues that entrepreneurs
running micro businesses face either in the earliest stage of starting a business or after running a
business for a couple of years without seeing significant growth. The main cause for such issues lies
in the early idea generation stage when entrepreneurs struggle to identify competitive business
ideas. Furthermore, the lack of customer-‐driven product design and medium-‐term planning can
impede expansion of a business from micro to small.

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JumpStart addresses these issues through helping participants to do the following:
• Understand and identify which skills and traits are needed to run a business. Participants assess
their entrepreneurial competencies and identify their strengths and areas that require
improvement.
• Learn ideation techniques and become familiar with possible sources of business ideas. This
encourages participants to think out-‐of-‐the box and come out with competitive ideas. The
ideation activities are the main focus of the curriculum activities and are included in all modules to
ensure participants completely grasp the concepts.
• Focus on the assets they have (personal, community assets) in order to identify what they are
missing to start their business.
• Participate in feasibility activities for their business ideas to introduce participants to the concept
of customer-‐driven product design and marketing. The recognition of a business opportunity
coupled with the ability to respond effectively is the basis for starting and maintaining successful
ventures. Participants learn to generate ideas and screen and evaluate them to determine the
most viable, attractive propositions to be selected.
• Develop a complete, SMART Action Plan that will help participants to start a business. The
purpose of this is not to come up with a business plan, but for participants to think about and
document what needs to be done before they start their business. The concepts of the business
model canvas (BMC) are introduced.
• Showcase their work and communicate their ideas clearly.
• Be aware of what short-‐ and medium-‐term action steps look like.
JumpStart involves formal classroom learning facilitated by Interns and coaching. The in-‐class
experience is then followed by a deeper application of the ideation concepts through their
homework and group work.
MATERIALS
Participants will use a blank notebook to record notes and other details and should bring the
notebook to every session. Participants can later reference their notebook to rethink business ideas
or for guidance on action planning.
JUMPSTART AT A GLANCE
This table describes the entire JumpStart program experience. The rows that are shaded in grey will
NOT be delivered as part of the StartUp! Foundation Intern Learning Experience (ILE) but will be
delivered during the participant JumpStart experience.
# Name Summary
1 Entrepreneurial Skills Participants explore their strengths and skills
to better understand their personal
characteristics in relation to entrepreneurial
characteristics.
2 Generating Ideas Brainstorming and idea generating activities
encourages participants to think out-‐of-‐the-‐
box and explore their creative potential.

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3 Map Your Assets Asset mapping shifts the perspective from

needs to opportunity and positions.
Participants use their own abilities to start a
business.
4 The Opportunity Participants are introduced to the concept of
Marketplace customer-‐driven product design and
marketing. The recognition of a business
opportunity coupled with the ability to
respond effectively is the basis for starting and
maintaining successful ventures.
5 Action Planning Participants develop a SMART Action Plan that
will help them to rethink the tasks required to
start a business.
6 Showcase Your Business Idea Participants practise selling themselves and
communicating their product or service in a
competitive environment.

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WELCOME AND EXPECTATIONS

Timing 75 minutes
Preparation ! Read through the module to get a sense of the flow and to gain an
understanding of what happens
! Work through the exercises as if you are a Participant to develop
examples or samples for explanations
! Read through the module and add notes and your own phrasing and
explanations to any complex concepts
Outcomes In this session, Interns will:
• identify their passions

• establish ground rules for working together

Purpose This module introduces Interns to the StartUp! Foundation Skills
Development schedule and learning projects
• Blank notebook
Materials
• Flip chart
• Sticky notes
• Markers
Logistics 5 minutes
Module sections Icebreaker: Connect through our passions 30 minutes
Set ground rules 20 minutes
Overview of agenda 20 minutes
Module notes:
Welcome and expectations 11

LOGISTICS – 3 MINUTES
Discuss:
• Breaks
• Meals
• Washrooms
• Homework assignments
• Parking lot
• Other logistics as required
ICEBREAKER: CONNECT THROUGH OUR PASSIONS – 30

MINUTES
The objective is for participants to explore passions that connect
them to each other. The Icebreaker not only provides a starting point
for participants to talk with each other but it also sets up the
discussions that will occur in other modules.
If your group is larger than 20 participants, you should create groups
of 10-‐15 participants per group to allow everyone to see the flip
chart paper. Each group will need at least one piece of flip chart
paper posted on the wall.
Introduction
Today, we will share connections through our passions—the things

in life about which we are passionate. These connections inform
how we learn together. The first step is to see the connections.
Large group exercise – 20 minutes
There are a variety of materials that you can use to do this exercise
depending on your supplies. Here are a few, but you might be able to
think of others:
• flip chart paper, sticky notes, and markers

• flip chart paper that they write directly on and then draw
lines to connect the words
• small squares of paper (the size of sticky notes) and string
and paper clips to connect the pieces of paper that will be
spread out over a table
Use whatever you have as long as participants perform the following
actions in the order below:
• Write down three passions

• Visibly connect these passions to the passions of others
• Observe the variety of passions and the variety of ways that
people describe their passions
• Discuss their discoveries
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• Discover specific connections to other participants
Give each group two pieces of flip chart paper to post on the wall
next to each other to create one large poster. The flip chart paper
needs to be big enough to accommodate three sticky notes per
participant. For example, if you have 10 participants in a group,
there will be 30 sticky notes on the final flip chart paper.
Give each participant three sticky notes and a marker and tell them
to follow these instructions:
1. Write one thing you are passionate about on each sticky
note. Use only one to two words to describe each passion.
2. Write your name on the back of your sticky notes.
At the end of two minutes, ask everyone to stop writing.
3. Go to the flip chart and post your notes in any order. Place
them all over the flip chart.
Allow a minute or two for participants to place their notes.
4. Now, look for sticky notes that match your passions.

Without moving the sticky notes, draw a line between your
sticky note and the other ones that match your passion.
5. Once you have drawn your lines, step away from the flip
chart to allow other group members to connect their sticky
notes with those of others.
Debrief – 10 minutes
? What did you learn in this exercise?
? How many connections were made to your sticky notes? Why do
you think there were many/few?
For example, someone might have tagged their passion as sports,
while someone else might have written soccer. Broader interests will
show more connections than narrow interests.
? What were the differences in the connections? Similarities?
The idea here is to look for patterns within the connections, such as
the numbers of connections that come off some sticky notes/subjects
or people who had many or few connections.
? How does knowing others’ passions change how you are

connected?
Relationships are based on shared interests. Once we know that
someone shares a mutual interest, we will be more interested in
working with them on other things.
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? What passions did you see others post that you share but didn’t
post yourself? How can you explore unknown passions?
? How are connections important in your daily life or in business?
? What actions will you undertake to increase your connections or
strengthen the ones you have?
Look for people we share passions with and establish a relationship.
SET GROUND RULES – 20 MINUTES
Now that we know each other a bit better, I will walk you through
the agenda.
We are going to be spending a lot of time together. You will be very
busy, you will be challenged and you will have a lot of fun.
What are some of the ground rules that we might want to set to
ensure that we are working well together?
• Share your ideas and answer questions

• Listen to others
• Stay open to new ideas
• Take risks
• Ask for help
• Ask questions
• Help each other
• Reflect
• Have fun
• Participate
• Respect others by listening and not interrupting
• One conversation at a time
• No cell phones, iPods, etc.
• Start on time
• Return from breaks on time
• Be kind to each other
• Give this your BEST!
OVERVIEW OF AGENDA – 20 MINUTES
Over the next three and a half weeks, you are going to go through
the full StartUp! Foundation participant experience. In order to
create a business idea, you will begin with Jumpstart, a quick start
program for participants who have not completed the ReachUp!
experience.
You will spend two days on Jumpstart and then you will form
business teams, to develop and test a business concept from start to
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finish using StartUp! Foundation. After each StartUp! Foundation

module, you will talk to your customers in order to test the
assumptions that you are making about your business.
At the end of StartUp! Foundation, your business team will present
the business idea, which was fully market tested. That is your first
learning project.
You will also learn and practice coaching and facilitation skills. The
second learning project is a practice facilitation exercise, where you
will work within a practice facilitation team to deliver one FULL
module of StartUp! Foundation. We have picked the core modules
so that you will see them facilitated twice before you have to deliver
them to your participants.
Your final learning project will be an individual showcase

presentation, showcasing your vision of the positive future of the
community in which you will work.
These are each BIG projects and every one of them is important.
Are there any questions before we begin?
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MODULE 1, ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS

Timing 160 minutes
understanding of what happens.
! Work through the exercises as if you were a participant to develop
examples or samples for explanations.
! Go through the business hero story.
! Read stories of successful entrepreneurs.
Outcomes In this session, participants will be able to:
• Identify their passions

• Identify and describe the key competencies required in setting up a
successful small business
• Assess their potential for becoming future entrepreneurs
Methods Individual activities, pair activities, group brainstorming, group discussion
Purpose In this module, participants explore their strengths and skills to better
understand their personal characteristics in relation to entrepreneurial
characteristics. Based on the responses of their self-‐assessment, learners
will be able to identify specific characteristics which they may need to
improve or develop if they want to become entrepreneurs in the future.
The objective of the first exercise is for participants to explore the
passions that connect them to each other. This icebreaker not only
provides a starting point for positive conversations among participants but
it also sets up the discussions that will occur in other modules.
In considering self-‐employment or setting up a business as a career option,

the learners should be aware of what it takes to become a successful
entrepreneur. With such awareness, learners can then develop or acquire
the necessary competencies.
• Blank notebook
Materials
• Flip chart
• Sticky notes
• Markers
Module sections Write your Hero Entrepreneur Story 40 minutes
What are the skills of successful entrepreneurs? 90 minutes
Your entrepreneurial characteristics 30 minutes
Module 1, Entrepreneurial Skills 16


MODULE OVERVIEW
JumpStart introduces you to most things you need to do or think
about before you start a business. The accumulation of information
you write in your notebook will prepare you for the StartUp!
Foundation Course (the next step in setting your business).
? What is the first thing you need to have to start a business?
You need skills that will enable you to build your business.
In this first module, we will learn entrepreneurial characteristics of

successful entrepreneurs.
? What is the next thing you need to have before you start a
business? Some of you probably have that already.
• A viable business idea
In Module 2, we will learn how to generate innovative ideas and
where to get them.
? What else do you need to start a business?
• You need assets that will help to implement your business. Some
of these assets are your entrepreneurial skills but we will also
discover the financial and community assets that can help you
start a business.
Do not tell Interns the next grey portion. Instead say,
You will expand your work from Jumpstart by forming business
teams. You will work within your business team through the entire
StartUp! Foundation curriculum.
Note:
• Remind participants to bring their notebook to all classes.

• Respect the beginning and end times of each day.
• It is important to arrive on time and stay on schedule.
• Ensure that participants develop some basic business skills,
feel empowered, learn how think creative, and have fun!
HERO-‐ENTREPRENEUR STORY – 40 MINUTES
Give each participant a blank notebook.
Record entrepreneurial story – 20 minutes

Use the notebook to record your ideas and key points throughout
your learning journey while you:
• prepare your business idea

• explore your entrepreneurial skills and strengths
• plan your next steps
The notebooks are for you alone.
For the first exercise, you will write a success story of an
entrepreneur in the notebook. The story can be about your own
success in business or about another entrepreneur that inspires you.
You may use words or pictures (or both). Recalling stories allows us
to see details that we might otherwise have missed in our lives.
You have 20 minutes to record your story.
Review and add details – 10 minutes
Write the following list of questions where participants can refer to
them as they work. This can be on a white board or a flip chart.
Now look at your Hero Entrepreneur Story and answer these
questions:
• What is it about this business hero that inspires you most?
• What skills, knowledge, and attitudes did your hero demonstrate
to become so successful?
• List the actions you think your business hero needed to take to
become successful? What did you do?
• What do this story and the notes tell you about successful
entrepreneurs?
• What do you think people need to become successful
entrepreneurs?
? How can you use your business hero story to develop a sense of
your own entrepreneurial strengths and skills?
GROUP ACTIVITY: WHAT MAKES SUCCESSFUL

ENTREPRENEURS SUCCESSFUL? – 90 MINUTES
I will share some stories of successful entrepreneurs.
Get into groups of four (4) and read the first entrepreneurship story
about John.

Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories: John

– 10 minutes
ENTREPRENEUR A: John Gitau. (John has owned a small restaurant

for three years.)
I started by working at a restaurant in another town. I waited on
tables, cooked, did the purchasing and book-‐keeping and picked up a
basic understanding of the business. Later, I spent some time at two
other restaurants in town learning about managing a restaurant.
Most people think if they are good cooks they can open a restaurant.
It’s not that simple! You’ve got to know every area of the food
business, such as purchasing, advertising, cooking, managing
employees and customer relations. Young people come to me and
say, “I want to learn about operating a restaurant from you so I can
open my own.” I tell them, “That’s okay with me, I’ll have you cook,
bartend, wait on tables and clean up tables.” They say, “You don’t
understand. I want to learn how to manage.” Well, I believe you’ve
got to “feel the business” from the ground up before you can run it. I
enjoy the freedom of being in business. I like being my own boss. I
have twelve employees, and it gives me a good feeling when they
ask me for advice. It would be difficult for me to work for somebody
else. But I might become an employee in the future. I’m only twenty-‐
eight years old, and my career could take many turns. I hope that if I
did have to work for someone else, I could pretty much do what I
wanted. I like making decisions and being a leader.
Which entrepreneurial characteristics does John have?
? How did John learn about how to cook and manage the
restaurant? What does this tell you about his character?
? Was John realistic about his business or was he a dreamer?
? What is John attitude toward young people who want to learn
how to manage the restaurant? What does this say about him?
While participants suggest different entrepreneurial characteristics,

record them on a flip chart.
Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories: Doris

– 10 minutes
Now take 10 minutes to read about Doris and then list her
characteristics in your notebook.
ENTREPRENEUR B: Doris Smith. (Doris owns a pharmacy. She has

had her business for six years.)

I feel that people wanting to start a business should set deadlines for
when they want to start. In the meantime, they should find out as
much as they can about profit, volume, pricing, cash flow, personnel,
advertising and accounting. Having your own business doesn’t take
up any more time than working for a big company. When you work
for a company, they feel your life is their life. You may as well be
your own boss.
Even though I may physically leave my business premises, I never

mentally leave my business. I’m always thinking about it. If I don’t
make things happen in my business, nothing will happen. This is my
business philosophy. Although I myself am in the minority, one of the
biggest pleasures I get out of my business is giving other women
good jobs. My current income is less than if I’d be employed, because
I put most of my money back into the business because I want it to
expand. The six other pharmacies in town are owned by men. I am
the only woman who owns a pharmacy.
Which entrepreneurial characteristics does Doris have?
? What advice did Doris share about running your own business?
What does this tell you about her character?
? Why does Doris invest part of her income back into the business?
What does this tell you about her character?
Continue to record different entrepreneurial characteristics as

participants suggest them.
Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories: Pat –

10 minutes
ENTREPRENEUR C: Pat O'Brian. (Pat O’Brian is one of four owners of
a firm that owns a local radio station. Pat and her partners started
the business ten years ago.)
The important thing is to get into a business you like and in an
industry that you know. I’d worked at a radio station for a number of
years before we formed our business. When deciding on a business
to enter, you need to know what the conditions are in the field. What
is its future? Ten years ago we saw the potential for growth in radio.
The time was right for me and my three partners to buy the radio
station. Building a business takes much more imagination and
creativity than most people think.
Owning a business takes maturity and the ability to work effectively
with others, including employees. We have a large number of people
working for us now, and we’ve got to know how to deal with them.
You need to have good help, including a dependable lawyer,
accountant, insurance agent and banker. You need money. It’s

difficult to raise capital, especially on your terms. It took us three
years to raise the money we needed to purchase the radio station. If
you go into business with other people, either as a partnership or in
a corporation, you’ve got to be certain you have common interest
and goals. You need to know what each person does well and what
skills they can contribute to the business. It helps to be friends. I
don’t accept the reasoning that you can’t be friends with your
partners. You can do it, if you can communicate well each other.
Which entrepreneurial characteristic does Pat have?
? How is Pat’s business different from the other two that you have
read about? What did you learn about her entrepreneurial
characteristics that you didn’t see in John’s or Doris’s story?
? What advice did Pat offer? What does this tell you about her
character?

Introduction to successful entrepreneurship stories:

Maria – 10 minutes
ENTREPRENEUR D: Maria runs a Human Resource firm that provides

house help and home management services to her clients. She began
the business five years ago and operates it from her house.
My business began as just something I would do to pass time; it
would cost me nothing and I would be doing something that I really
love which I have been told I am good at, that is helping people. I
quit my job after having our second child since I wanted to spend
more time with the family. I had been home for a year. My husband
and I were looking at something I could to keep myself busy and we
decided on this.
I train house help on crucial skills that they need to get employment,
these would include; house chores, baby care, people skills, personal
hygiene, just to name a few. At the time we did not have any
resources to begin the business hence the decision to pick this one
since it required no capital. We had a servant’s quarter which we
used for the lessons.
After the year, the demand increased and so we tailored courses as
requested by potential clients. At this point I would plough in the
money I made from the business to expand since I needed to employ
two other people and to also pay for a bigger venue when required.
I got a lot of support from my family, friends and networks; from
them I got referrals and the reason to go on. The business had its

challenges however this did not stop me since I had the bigger
picture in my mind – to help people run their homes with less strain.
Which entrepreneurial characteristics does Maria have?
? How did Maria decide to start her business? What does this tell
you about her character?
? What is the current state of Maria’s business? What does that
tell you about her character?

DEBRIEF – 10 MINUTES
? What are the most important entrepreneurial characteristics that

you found?
? Would you say some are more important than others? Why?
? Did you find these entrepreneurs have anything in common with
your “hero entrepreneur”? If yes, what do they have in common?
Post the flip chart with the list of characteristics on the wall.
YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL CHARACTERISTICS – 30 MINUTES
Entrepreneurial self-‐assessment – 20 minutes
You are going to use your notebook and the Entrepreneurial
Characteristics flip chart for this next activity. You are going to
decide how important each characteristic is to your own business
efforts. You will also then privately assess your own ability to act on
that characteristic.
No one else will see your work, so be honest.
Start on a blank page.
Draw a table with three columns, with one row for each
characteristic on our flip chart.
It should look like this:
Characteristic Importance Personal

Assessment


1. Write down the characteristic in the first column.

2. In the second column, entitled ‘Importance’ choose a
number between 1 and 5 based on how important you
believe that characteristic is to the success of your business.
On the scale, 1 indicates ‘not at all important’ and 5
indicates ‘must have’.
3. In the third column, write down how often you are able to
demonstrate that characteristic. On the scale, a 1 means
you ‘never do it’; a 5 means you ‘do it all the time’.
? Why is it important to identify entrepreneurship characteristics

in yourself?
? What new things did you learn about yourself?
? Did you discover any new strengths?
? How might you strengthen the areas that you identified as
important?
You may revisit these and add notes to your notebook as you
develop your skills.

MODULE 2, MAP YOUR ASSETS

Timing 160 minutes
! Work through the exercises as if you are a participant to develop
explanations to any complex concepts.
! List eight asset types on a flip chart.
! Prepare three asset examples for each level (Personal, JumpStart! and
Community) and each of the eight categories of assets.
! Complete the Three Circle Asset Map with examples that might not
easily come up in discussion to use as thinking prompts.
! Prepare vision board squares for the Community Asset Map.
! Prepare category triangles for the Community Asset Map.
• Create Personal Asset Maps

• Collect lists of assets within the room that resonate with them
• Create a Community Asset Map
• Practice scanning their environment for new ideas
Methods Individual and group activities
Purpose Asset mapping shifts the perspective from needs to opportunity and
positions. Participants use their abilities to start a business.
• Flip chart paper and markers

Materials
• Soft object you can throw around or just make a ball out of old paper
• Copy of the table with the answers of successful entrepreneurs for each
participants
• Newspapers by different publishers (outdated recent newspapers)
Where we are right now on Starting a Business list 5 minutes
Module sections What are assets? 20 minutes
Personal Assets 15 minutes
JumpStart assets 20 minutes
Community Assets 60 minutes
Focus your asset perspective 15 minutes
Homework – 2 innovative objects 20 minutes
Module 2, Map Your Assets 25

Module notes:

READ BEFORE FACILITATING THIS MODULE
Asset mapping is an empowering approach that identifies what

exists rather than what is missing. This technique will help
participants focus on what they already have in order to implement
their business ideas.
You will lead participants through an exercise to record assets at
three levels:
1. personal
2. in the room
3. larger community
The flow for this module is as follows:
Participants complete their Personal Asset Maps individually.
Participants post their Personal Asset Maps on the wall and tour
other people’s maps. As they tour, they make note of any assets they
see on their peers’ maps that connect or complement their own. This
might result in possible co-‐ops or partnerships.
The third level of the Asset Map is completed as a group activity,
where the large group brainstorms and builds a large map of the
community assets. This larger map might be something that
participants continue to develop and add to throughout JumpStart.
In the final stage, participants complete the Three Circle Asset Map
based on the notes they have taken throughout this process. The
result should be an individual perspective asset map which takes into
account the participant’s own relevant assets, the relevant assets of
others in the room, and the relevant assets in their community.
We have generalised these assets into eight categories:
• Network
• Physical
• Financial
• Businesses
• Services
• Cultural
• Commitments
• Expertise
WHERE ARE WE? – 5 MINUTES
Let's quickly consider where we are in stages of our business story?
Write the stages on the flip chart and explain:

In the first module we explored our entrepreneurial skills and

analysed what we are good at and what we need to improve.
In this module, we will focus more on what you already have in your
community and as an individual that will help you transform your
idea into a viable business.
WHAT ARE ASSETS? – 20 MINUTES
? When you hear the word “asset”, what do you think of?
Our definition is: anything useful; something of value.
We all bring different experiences into a group. These experiences

all have value, even when others might not see the value at first.
? What kind of assets does a mother who cares for five children
have?
• She can juggle a lot of needs and priorities.

• She probably has budgeting and time management skills.
• She may have influence skills to get the children to work and
play well together.
? What about a young man who can walk the five miles between
his house and workplace in an hour? What assets might he have?
• He is able to pace himself to accomplish the long task.
• He may be able to plan a route that is the fastest path
between two points.
We all value different things and so may have different opinions
about what assets are. All assets are valuable, even if others don’t
see them as valuable. While we may see different experiences and
abilities as more valuable or less valuable, we need a variety of
assets in the community. For example, if everyone liked to talk,
there would be no one to listen. Financial assets are only as useful
as one’s expertise to use them wisely.
? What kinds of assets do you personally have?
Make the point that we value assets based on our personal
experience. A mother might naturally value different assets than a
young man. However, taking a broader perspective may reveal
valuable assets that we wouldn’t normally consider.
? What assets are present in this room?

Reveal the eight asset types on the flip chart. As participants provide
examples, classify answers into the categories. Use the explanations
and create your own localised examples for each of the categories.
1. Networks – this represents the people you are connected to

or have partnerships with.
2. Expertise – this is the knowledge and experience you have
or that is available to you.
3. Commitments – these are the promises that we make to
each other, which include unstated promises, like a
commitment to being a parent or a life partner, as well as
what we say we stand for.
You may need to bring Commitment examples up yourself, if
participants do not volunteer them. It is a very strong asset,
especially at the community level. A Kenyan example might be
someone to volunteer to teach deaf children sign language every
Saturday or to agree to coach a school football team.
4. Cultural – these are the rich assets of our history and include
knowledge of local stories and history, cultural language,
theatre, dance, art, ceremonies, etc.
If you have examples of how women have played important roles in
your community from a cultural perspective you may wish to share
these.
5. Services – these are the services that you can deliver and
are willing to barter or trade. For example, childcare or
mechanic or construction skills.
The services category definition differs slightly for each level of
asset—personal, in the room, and community. At the level in the
room, this category represents the services that participants are
willing to offer to each other. At the community level, it represents
the services associated with mind, body, and spirit—education,
health, and religious or spiritual services that can be found within
the community. In the first two levels the services are normally
“free” or not at a financial cost. That restriction need not apply at
the community level.
6. Businesses – these include formal and informal businesses,

as well as household businesses you know of.
7. Financial – these include things like grants, loans, loan
agencies, or promises to pay, like contracts or sources of
savings.
8. Physical – these are non-‐financial material assets (for
example, a garden, tools at the personal level, or
recreational assets, like parks or vacant land or buildings, at
the community level).
? What questions do you have about the categories listed here?

The categories are provided as thinking prompts. It is more
important that participants fully explore all types of assets than it is
that they get the assets into the right categories.
PERSONAL ASSETS – 15 MINUTES
Map your personal assets – 10 minutes
Each participant will need a piece of paper.
You are going to spend the next 10 minutes individually
brainstorming your personal assets. Write down every asset you can
think of to create a Personal Asset Map. You can also put your
entrepreneurial skills on your asset map. Use the categories to help
you think.
Walk around and coach participants using question prompts for

categories that seem to be empty. Offer your own examples to start
their thinking.
? What assets did you discover that you had not considered
before?
? What categories seem to have more assets than others? Why do
you think that is?
JUMPSTART ASSETS – 20 MINUTES
Identify interesting JumpStart Assets – 15 minutes
Now, take your Personal Asset Map and post it on the wall. We are
going to tour the personal maps. Use your notebooks to note
interesting JumpStart Assets that are available in this room that
complement your own assets. Do not think too much about the
outcomes for now; just record assets that resonate. In the future,
these assets might create partnership or co-‐op opportunities or
provide a means for you to help each other achieve your goals.
Again, for now, just tour the Personal Asset Maps and record what
interests you.
You will have 15 minutes to tour and make notes.
? What complementary assets did you notice?

? What did you learn about your colleagues?
? What did you learn about yourself?
COMMUNITY ASSETS – 60 MINUTES
This section requires that you prepare eight asset triangles and four
vision boards in advance.
Instructions: Using flip chart paper, create eight large squares of
paper all the same size (row 1 in the images below). Cut four in half
as shown in the first image of the second row to create eight right-‐
angled triangles; keep four whole. The four squares will be used to
create four vision boards. Label each triangle with one of the eight
asset categories. To create the vision boards collect and paste
positive images of your country and/or your community onto them.
You may use images from magazines, newspapers, the Internet,
flyers, etc. The final vision boards will include inspirational images in
the centre and community assets around the outside.


Brainstorm community assets – 40 minutes
We are going to build a BIG map of the assets within our
community. Each of you will start with one category of assets. You
will spend five minutes on that category, thinking about and
recording all of the assets you can come up with that are in your
community.
At the end of five minutes, you will rotate to the next category and
spend five minutes reviewing what is written there and adding new
assets to it.
Then you will rotate again.
You will rotate until everyone has had a chance to read and add to
each category. Together we will create a BIG map of community
assets that you can use as you develop your livelihood plan.
Divide the group into eight smaller groups or pairs. Hand each group
one of the triangles to record the assets they come up with. Rotate
groups at the end of each five minute time segment.
You may find it more efficient to move each triangle rather than
participant groups as you only have 40 minutes to complete all eight
rotations.
Assemble the map – 5 minutes
Put your four vision boards in the middle of a wall that has enough
space to post the entire map (see image for the layout). It will be
four times the length and width of your paper squares.
Have participants help you assemble the map according to the
illustration.


Collect interesting community assets – 15 minutes
Tour the large Community Asset Map. Use your notebook to record
interesting assets that complement your own assets. Do not think
too much about the outcomes for now; just record assets that
interest you. You will have 15 minutes to tour and make notes.
FOCUS YOUR ASSET PERSPECTIVE – 15 MINUTES
Hand out the Three Circle Asset Map.
Now you are going to collect all of the assets that are relevant to
you on one asset map. Add relevant assets from your Personal Asset
Map to a new Three Circle Asset Map. Add the notes you made to
the other layers of the Three Circle Asset Map.
Look for assets that add to yours, either by strengthening what you
already have or by filling in what you might be missing in your
interest area. See what interesting asset patterns you can create.
For example, if one of your personal assets is expertise in local
songs, see if you can find assets that might complement you, such as
a local cultural centre or someone in the room with knowledge of
local dancing.

You are narrowing down your perspective to focus on particular
assets that can be useful to you. You will use this narrowed
perspective in the next module when we explore the Opportunity
Marketplace.
HOMEWORK: TWO INNOVATIVE OBJECTS – 20 MINUTES
For the next class, bring a list of two of the most inspiring products,
ideas, concepts, technologies, information items or whatever that
you find truly innovative and that capture your imagination. These
should be something on which you think you could build a business.
Possible Sources of Inspiring Items: Internet, newspaper, other

media, other businesses, or something you found in a shop.
Fill this table with two innovative things. It can be either an item,
idea or a service.
Draw this Example on the flipchart:
Innovative Source of Assets I need to turn

object/idea information of my this in a business
innovative object
Organic From the trade fair in Someone I can buy
vegetable my area vegetables from
delivery (businesses) or land
where I can grow my
own vegetables, car or a
motorbike, driving and
marketing skills
Solar powered In the newspaper A supplier of solar power
lighting lightening (business),
some solar power
expertise, partners who
will distribute my solar
lights
For tomorrow's class, be prepared to present one of the two ideas
you identify. If someone else has an idea similar to yours, you have
the second idea as a back-‐up. Each person will have 30 seconds to
present.
Your presentation should include:
1. A clearly articulated presentation about the idea;

2. Reasons you chose this idea; and
3. Supportive information about why do you think this idea is a
good business opportunity

Personal Asset Map

Community Asset Map

JumpStart! Intern Learning Experience v.1
MODULE 3, GENERATING IDEAS

Timing 135 minutes
• analyse further their entrepreneurial competencies

• have the opportunity to become aware of their own creative potential
• learn to apply techniques for developing their creative ability
• learn how to generate business ideas
To give participants practice scanning their environment for new ideas.
Methods Large group exercise, small group exercise, large group debriefs
Purpose A good business idea is essential for starting a successful venture and for
staying competitive afterwards. Good business ideas, however, do not
usually just occur to an entrepreneur. Rather, they are the result of hard
work, effort and often creativity on the part of the entrepreneur.
Brainstorming and idea generating activities encourage participants to

think out-‐of-‐the-‐box and explore their creative potential.
The Worst Idea activity, which encourages participants to imagine the
worst idea possible, encourages participants to suggest whichever ideas
they have. The group may be pressing too hard for a great idea—and
coming up dry. The Worst Idea Technique relieves the participant from
pressure to perform, allowing them to freely come up with an idea.
Another way to help participants to develop their creative ability is to
begin with existing ideas. These ideas may be changed in various ways to
produce new and original ideas. The technique of changing existing ideas
has many useful applications in work situations.
• Flip chart paper and markers

Materials
• Soft object you can throw around or just make a ball out of old paper
• Copy of the table with the answers of successful entrepreneurs for each
Module 3, Generating Ideas 37

participants
• Newspapers by different publishers (outdated recent newspapers)
Icebreaker – Crazy Wish 10 minutes
Module sections 30 second innovative object pitch 15 minutes
Intro to idea generation 10 minutes
‘Worst Idea Ever’ activity 20 minutes
Sources of business ideas 40 minutes
Form business teams 30 minutes
Debrief 10 minutes
Module notes:

ICEBREAKER: CRAZY WISH – 10 MINUTES
Get a simple object you can throw around (it can be a small soft ball
or just make a ball out of the paper).
Ask participants to stand in the circle. Ask them:
If you could have anything you imagine, what would you wish to be
or have? There are no limitations such as money, time, or energy.
What would you have? You want to be invisible? So be it! Travel to
the past or the future? Easy!
Toss the ball to someone in the group and asks him to tell their crazy
wish. That person tosses the ball to another person who does the
same, and so on until everyone has received the ball and told about
their wishes.
30 SECOND INNOVATIVE OBJECT PITCH – 15 MINUTES
To get us starting thinking about creating innovative ideas for new
businesses, let’s hear some innovative ideas. Remember, you only
have 30 seconds to deliver:
1. A clearly articulated description about the idea

2. Reasons you chose this idea
3. Why do you think this idea is a good business opportunity
Ask for volunteers to pitch their innovative objects. Remind Interns
that if someone’s idea is similar to theirs, they have the second idea
to fall back on.
GROUP ACTIVITY: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS IDEA

GENERATION – 10 MINUTES
Now that we have mapped out our entrepreneurship skills and
know each other a bit better, let’s discuss how we can apply these
skills in starting a business.
We are now at the idea generation stage, where you will rely on
your creativity and resourcefulness, key entrepreneurial
characteristics.
? Do we know what creativity means?
Ask participants what they think creativity is and write their answers
on flip chart.
Help them with suggestions:

Most people can think of several occupations which require

creativity -‐ artist, musician, dancer, designer and scientist. However,
the need for creativity is not limited to these occupations. Creative
ideas are needed anywhere there are problems with unknown
solutions.
Write the last sentence on the flipchart.
? What does this sentence mean? And why does it have any
connection with entrepreneurship? Why do you think
entrepreneurs need to be creative?
Help participants with the following explanation:
In the business world, entrepreneurs use creativity to solve

everyday problems, promote products and services, update
products and services, and make use of limited resources.
We also need creativity to imagine original business ideas. This

might seem difficult, but we can learn how to be creative. Today we
will recognize and share as many ideas as possible. We will share
ideas that are good, not so good, and even some you think are bad.
ACTIVITY: THE WORST IDEA EVER – 20 MINUTES
Brainstorming – 15 minutes
Let's share the worst idea we ever had. The worst idea, as its name
implies, is a creative technique where you come up with the worst
possible idea you can (a really awful, occasionally disgusting,
sometimes repulsive idea).
Think of the worst possible idea you can for soup. How about a soup
with rocks in it? How about a soup that has green slime?
Some rules of brainstorming for this activity:
Record rules on the flip chart
• Do not criticize or judge the ideas of others.

• Freewheeling encouraged! Ideas that seem wild or crazy are
welcomed.
• Quantity is desirable. The greater the number of ideas, the better.
• Try to combine and improve upon the ideas of others.
• Do not copy other people’s ideas.
Now let's share the worst possible ideas you can think of.
Remember, no idea is a bad idea.

Record on flip charts what is being said.
Note that worst idea out of a participant’s mouth will not be that
bad. For example, vegetable soup that’s got no vegetables in it. You
should exaggerate and give an example of a really awful idea like a
soup that’s made of cement as a way to stimulate the group.
After a sufficient number of worst ideas have been recorded on flip
charts (usually 15 – 20) you pick one of the most interesting or awful
ideas and try to help the group turn it into a good idea by using one
of two prompts like this:
? As bad as this idea seems, is there something of value in it that
could be turned into a good idea?
? This idea is really bad. If we did exactly the reverse, could we
create a valuable new idea?
Encourage any suggestions from the group.
Hint: This exercise should be fun. If you’re not having fun with it,
you’re probably not facilitating it well. Don’t be afraid to be a little
gross, ridiculous, and/or repulsive when facilitating this exercise.
? Was it hard to think of the worst idea ever?
? What helped you most when generating the worst idea?
? Which sources did you use?
? Is there such a thing as a bad idea?
GROUP DISCUSSION: SOURCES OF IDEAS – 40 MINUTES
What we have just done is a type of brainstorming which is
enhancing our creativity and making us think out-‐of-‐the-‐box.
Besides brainstorming, from where else can we get ideas?
For those who already have ideas, from where did you get them?
Think about the environment, community, and personal interest.
Write their ideas on the left side of the flip chart and write the
sources on the right side. Then add the following sources of ideas
while explaining them.
Hobbies or interests
Many people, in pursuit of their hobbies or interests, have founded
businesses. If, for example, you enjoy playing with computers,
singing, travelling, doing sport or even performing, you may be able

to develop this hobby or interest into a business. To illustrate this, if
you enjoy travelling you may consider going into tourism, which is
one of the biggest industries in the world.
Encourage participants to suggest business ideas from their hobbies

or interests and write them down on the left side of the table.
Then write:
Personal skills and experience
Over half of the ideas for successful businesses come from
experiences in the work place. For example, a mechanic with
experience working for a large garage eventually sets up a car repair
or used car business. Your background can play a crucial role in the
decision to go into business as well as the type of venture to be
created. Your skills and experience are probably your most
important resource, not only in generating ideas but also when
developing a good business opportunity. You previously analysed
your entrepreneurial skills. Now think about your previous work
experience or education while creating new business ideas.
Encourage participants to suggest business ideas that they get from
their previous work or volunteer experience and write them down on
the left side of the table
Other successful businesses
Let's start with thinking of people or businesses in your community
that had innovative ideas. For example you've probably seen Mpesa
kiosks in your area. Does this give you any new business ideas?
Have participants give examples of people or firms in their
community or elsewhere those have come up with good business
ideas, and explain their reasons for considering these ideas as being
good. Write their suggestions on the flip chart.
Business exhibitions and trade fairs
Another way to find ideas for a business is to attend exhibitions and
trade fairs. These are usually advertised on the radio or in
newspapers. By regularly visiting such events, you will discover new
products and services. Furthermore, you will meet sales
representatives, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and
franchisers—often excellent sources of business ideas and
information to help you start your business. Some of them may also
be looking for someone just like you to be a business partner.

Ask participants which trade fair they have attended and whether
they got any new ideas from them. If not, suggest ideas, for example
new solar power batteries for phones that you saw at a recent fair.
Complaints and frustrations
Customers have led to many new products or services. Whenever
consumers or customers complain about a product or service or
when you hear someone say “I wish there was.....” or “If only there
were a product/service that could...” you have a potential business
idea. The idea could be to set up a rival firm offering a better
product or service, or it might be a new product or service to be sold
to an existing firm and/or others.
Can you think of anything that bothers you on daily basis and for
which you have a solution? Is there something that your friends or
family complain about? Think about a solution.
Encourage participants to suggest business ideas based on the

solutions to problems theirs or their friends have.
Media including newspapers, magazines, TV and Internet
Newspapers, magazines, television, and the Internet are all

examples of mass media. Take a careful look, for example, at the
commercial advertisements in a newspaper or magazine and you
may well find businesses for sale. Articles in the printed press or on
the Internet or documentaries on television may report on changes
in fashion or specific consumer needs. For example, you may read or
hear that people are increasingly interested in healthy eating or
maintaining their physical fitness. You may also find advertisements
calling for the provision of certain services based on skills, for
example accounting, catering, or security. You may discover a new
business concept, but investors would be needed.
Activity: Find your business ideas in different sources –

10 minutes
In your notebook, brainstorm about the sources of business ideas.

Start with newspapers, TV and Internet. Now think of others.
Activity: Find your business idea in the newspaper – 15

minutes
Divide participants in small groups of four or five and tell them that
they are going to do an exercise to give them practice in using the
concepts and techniques discussed so far.

Bring newspapers by different publishers (outdated recent

newspapers) to the class. Let learners use the newspapers as they
work in groups of three to four.
Your group should identify five business ideas from the articles as
well as the commercial opportunities section of a newspaper or
magazine. The commercial section may contain advertisements for
businesses or machines on sale whilst articles may describe new
types of businesses or announce changes in fashion or consumer
needs. Then, for each idea chosen, give reasons why you are
interested in it.
After this task, each group should give a 30 second presentation to
share which ideas they identified and why they find it interesting.
Tell participants they can work on some of these ideas throughout
the course if they find them innovative and appealing.
? What did you learn from this exercise?
? How many ideas did you find?
? What were most common business ideas?
? Why were the ideas you picked interesting to you?
? Do you consider any of these ideas to be a good business
opportunity? If yes, why?
FORM YOUR BUSINESS TEAMS – 30 MINUTES
It’s time to choose an idea to work on for the next two weeks. Here
are the criteria for your business idea.
• Your customers MUST be no more than 2 Km from this site
• You MUST be able to meet with them in person
• You MUST have at least 10 viable customers in this area
• You should know something about the business that you’re
interested in starting
• The idea much be one that you are willing to share and adjust
your thinking on
• There are no obligations for continuing this work beyond this
learning experience
Here is how we will do this:

If you have a business idea that meets ALL the criteria, and you
would like to pitch your idea, you will have 5 minutes to write a
description of your business idea on a single sheet of A4 paper.
Those of you who are pitching a business idea will hold the sheet of
paper facing outward so that it can be easily read. The rest of you
will tour the business ideas. If you see an idea that you are
interested in working on, stand next to that pitch person. You have
15 minutes to choose a business group.
You have five minutes to write your business description now. Begin
now.
Call time at the end of five minutes.
Now it’s time to recruit a business team. Find a business team to
work with. You have 20 minutes.
OVERALL DEBRIEF – 10 MINUTES
? What did you learn from today's exercises?
? Which of these activities helped you create new ideas?
? Which source was the most helpful?
? How did these exercises help you improve your creative skills?

MODULE 4, THE OPPORTUNITY

MARKETPLACE
Timing 175 minutes
! Prepare a customer empathy map on a flip chart.
! Create an example of a business person’s customer need. You'll need
it to work through to coach participants on creating their problem
statement.
! Prepare a plot diagram on a flip chart.
• Create an empathy map for their target customer

• Explore innovative object/ideas in their surroundings
• Find out the difference between business idea and opportunity
• Realize the importance of, and possess techniques for identifying and
assessing business opportunities
• Describe a customer problem from at least three perspectives
• Brainstorm the ways in which they can meet their customer’s needs
• Assess the feasibility of target opportunities
• Create a simple value proposition
• Apply their value proposition to a three-‐minutes commercial
• Individual or small group work, depending on participants

Methods
• Large group discussions
Purpose This module introduces participants to the concept of customer-‐driven
product design and marketing. The recognition of a business opportunity
coupled with the ability to respond effectively is the basis for starting and
maintaining successful ventures. It is also a characteristic of successful
entrepreneurs. It involves not only generating ideas or identifying
opportunities but also screening and evaluating them to determine the
most viable, attractive propositions to be selected.
• Plot diagram flip chart

Materials
• Customer empathy map flip chart
Module 4, The Opportunity Marketplace 46

• 20 blank papers, A4 format

• Paper air plane made of the blank paper
Plot your market opportunities 45 minutes
Module sections Who is your customer? 20 minutes
What problems does your customer have? 15 minutes
Solve your customers problems 20 minutes
Better, faster, cheaper, your sales story 10 minutes
Write your value proposition 10 minutes
Create a commercial 35 minutes
Improve your value proposition 15 minutes
Debrief 5 minutes
Module notes:

ACTIVITY: PLOT YOUR OPPORTUNITIES – 45 MINUTES
From this point onward, for the rest of the StartUp! Foundation
experience, you will be working in your business teams.
Group discussion – 10 minutes
Let's quickly look at the stage we are at?
We have business ideas now and we have done the asset mapping
to see if we have the assets needed to turn our idea in viable
business. Today we will discuss whether our idea is something that
you can sell to customers.
? Would you say a business idea itself is enough for business to
succeed?
An idea by itself, however good, is not sufficient for success. In other
words, notwithstanding its importance, an idea is only a tool that
needs to be developed and transformed into a viable business
opportunity. Out of 30 business ideas, there may be only one good
business opportunity.
? How do we know if our business idea is also a good market
opportunity?
The most important factor to think of when starting a business is the
customer. Are there people or businesses out there that will be
willing to pay for your idea? Also, as discussed in previous modules,
we need to identify whether there are assets available to implement
the idea. These questions help to identify whether your idea is also a
good business opportunity.
? Why does it matter if there are assets available?
Opportunities for which you have assets available to help you launch
them are the most immediately feasible.
? What would you do with an idea that was attractive to your
customer but not to you?
If you believe in your business idea and you're passionate about it,
it’s more likely you'll succeed.
Feasibility plot– 10 minutes
It is now time to discuss your idea and plot your idea on a simple
feasibility grid.
You will consider three factors:

1. How attractive the opportunity is to your group. Is this
something you want to do?
2. How attractive the opportunity is to your customer. Is this
something they would want to pay for?
3. Are there are assets available to you to help you deliver
your opportunity?
Create a grid below on the flipchart.
Turn to a new page in your notebook and title the page “Feasibility
Test.” Create a grid like the one I’ve created on the flip chart.
Plot your idea on the grid:
• If an idea has many assets to support it and a high appeal to both
you and your potential customer, put a dot in the upper right
hand square and draw a line out from it to label the opportunity.
• If it has low appeal, but many assets, put it in the upper left hand
square.
• If an idea has a high appeal, but few assets to support it, put it in
the lower right hand square.
• If an idea has low appeal and few or no assets to support it, put it
in the lower left hand square.

Be realistic with your plot point. You must have access to assets that
are available to you at little or no cost. Take advantage of ALL of the
assets within your business team.
Improve your idea’s position – 15 minutes
How can you change your idea to improve its position on the grid, to
move it closer to the upper right hand quadrant?
Walk around and coach participants on their plots.
? What did you see when you plotted your ideas?
? How did your thinking change?
Next, you are going to think about the customer for the best
business opportunity.
WHO IS YOUR CUSTOMER? – 20 MINUTES
Now we have a feasible idea, based on the livelihood ideas that
plotted in the upper right hand quadrant of your plot diagram.
? What is a customer?
Broaden the conversation beyond seeing the customer as someone

who buys from a business. Make the point that a customer is
someone whom you want to influence to action where you benefit
from the action.
? How can you make sure that your customer is interested in what
you are selling?
You learn who they are, what they do, what their world is like, how
they speak, etc.
We call that having empathy, which means knowing enough about

who they are to “step into their shoes.”
We are going to use something called an empathy map to learn
about our customer. Empathy maps are used to describe a group of
people. We then give a personal name to that group so that we can
relate or empathise with them person-‐to-‐person.
For example, if your business involves selling tomatoes to a hotel
chain, the customer in your empathy map is the group of people
who buy tomatoes (and not the individual, for example, Badrani, the
chef at the Hilton).

If I were to create an empathy map for my tomato buyers, I would
think about what their work day was like, and what they see, hear,
do, think, and say during a typical day.
Show your pre-‐drawn empathy map.

Turn to a new page in your notebook and title it “Customer Empathy
Map”.
Draw a picture of your customer in the middle of the page. Then,
thinking about your business, complete each section as if you were
the customer. Fully imagine what it’s like to be the customer. Don’t
create a customer based on your business idea; create a customer
who is in the domain of your business idea.
For example, perhaps I want to start a childcare service. When I

create my customer empathy map, I could say that my customer
wants to find help with child care because that is my business idea,
or I could “stand fully in my customer’s shoes” and realize that my
customer is really busy and would like to find additional time in her
day. That might lead me to several different ideas, like a shopping
service or cleaning service or a combination of household helpers.
Write down what you are doing, what you are feeling, saying,
thinking, seeing, and hearing. Think of the realities of your customer
not wishes. Spend 20 minutes being this customer. Fully imagine this
person.

WHAT PROBLEMS DO YOUR CUSTOMERS HAVE? – 15

MINUTES
Identifying the problem – 5 minutes
? Based on what you learned from the empathy map, what kinds
of problems does your customer face?
? Why do you care?
A customer’s problem is a potential opportunity.
The way you look at the customer’s problem could change what
solution you offer your customer.
Let’s work through an example together.
My customers make home-‐made drinks. They need clean water in

order to make the drinks. I know from my empathy map that my
customer often has to haul water before they can begin to make the
drinks.
? What problems do my customers have?
Think hard to identify at least three problems. Here are a few
examples:
• The water isn’t close enough.

• They have to spend time hauling water rather than making
the product.
• They have to spend time hauling water rather than selling
the product.
• The water is heavy to carry.
• There are sometimes queues to get the water.
• Sometimes they run out of water in the middle of the day.
• Sometimes they have too much water.
? Why did we keep coming up with problems after we decided on
the first one?
Seeing your customer’s problem from many perspectives creates

more opportunities.
? How might solutions for each of these problems differ?
If the problem is that the water is not close enough, you might think
of ways to move the water closer to them or move them closer to the
water.
If the problem is that they have to take time away from making
product to get water, you might consider helping them make

products or helping them with other tasks that take them away from
making products.
If the problem is that they have to take time away from selling their
product to get water, you might offer to take over selling at the
market so that they can concentrate on making products.
? What changes when we see the problem from different

perspectives?
We see a variety of solutions to the problems. We also are able to
respond appropriately to the problem our customer has.
Write three problem statements – 10 minutes
Use what you have learned about your customer from the empathy
map and write at least three simple problems your customer has.
Focus only on the problems (not the solutions).
SOLUTIONS TO YOUR CUSTOMER PROBLEMS – 20

MINUTES
Next you are going to brainstorm for what your target customer
wants and needs, keeping in mind the problem statements that you
just created. When you brainstorm, create many ideas without
worrying about whether the ideas are good. Write down every idea.
Don’t worry about making sense. Get as many ideas onto your pages
as possible. Fill them up.
1. Pass out A4 format paper and markers to all participants.
Tell groups to write down three main customer problem
statements on the sheet and their solution to the problem.
They should leave lots of space next to their problem
statements. (Five minutes)
2. Instruct each participant to write legibly.
3. Pass the customer problem statement sheet (have everyone

pass in the same direction) to the neighbour group and have
them write as many ideas as possible on how would they
solve the problem. Pass it to the next group once again. (Five
minutes)
4. Continue passing until each problem statement has three (or

more) solutions.
5. Pass the sheets back to the original group and let them pick
the best solutions for their customer’s problem.

6. Have each group to read the solutions for their customer
needs to the class.
Write down the best solutions in your notebook.
YOUR SALES STORY: BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER – 15

MINUTES
? Think about something you use regularly. Why do you buy it?
? How is it better, faster, or cheaper than other selections you
might make?
A simple marketing saying explains why customers choose certain

products or services over other products or services—Better, Faster,
Cheaper.
• This means that customers will choose a product that is better
than another product in some way that appeals to them.
• They might choose a product because it helps them do something
more quickly.
• They might choose a product because they can get the most value
for a lower cost.
We call this the product or service Value Proposition—what is the
product value over and above the current choice?
? How might you use a value proposition?
Make the point that a value proposition can help you create a
stronger offering.
Write Your Value Propositions – 10 minutes
Turn to a new page in your notebook and title the page “My Value
Proposition.” If you have more than one potential opportunity, do
the exercise for each of them.
1. Take two minutes to write one sentence that describes how
your opportunity is better than what your customer uses
right now.
your opportunity will help them perform a task or function
more quickly than they did before.
your opportunity will cost them less than what they have
right now. This can include the cost savings that you can
offer them in addition to your product or service being
cheaper.

CREATE A COMMERCIAL – 35 MINUTES
Now each group is going to create a 30-‐second commercial using
your value proposition. The point of your commercial is to get your
target customer to buy your product or service.
Create your commercial – 10 minutes
Take 10 minutes to plan your commercial so you can deliver it
concisely in the next exercise. You might want to write it out as a
script in your notebook or draw the key ideas to remind you of what
you are going to say.
Your commercial should include:
1. How your opportunity is better than what your customer

uses right now.
2. How your opportunity will help them perform a task or
function more quickly than they did before.
3. How your opportunity will cost them less than what they
have right now. This can include the cost savings that you
can offer them in addition to your product or service being
cheaper.
4. What logo, image, or name can you use to represent or
describe the product and encourage the audience to use it?
Call time at the end of 10 minutes.
Get feedback – 3 minutes per group
Next, you are going to gather feedback from the other groups who
will act as your potential customers. You have three minutes to
present your opportunity.
IMPROVE YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION – 15 MINUTES
After one group presents the commercial, other groups should write
down improvement or change you believe could be made to the
value proposition. Imagine you are a customer and would be offered
this product or service. You have about three minutes to
brainstorm.
Give each group 1 A4 paper where they can write improvements.
If participants are stuck ask them questions like:
• Was the commercial convincing enough?

• What would you add to make it more attractive?
• Would you make the product cheaper?

• Would you add some features that would make it more
appealing?
Call time after five minutes.
Now each team folds their paper into an Idea Airplane. Do you know
how to make airplane out of the paper?
Show them how to fold the paper to make an airplane. Have teams
line up across from one another and fly their planes to exchange
them.
Now each team opens and read the suggestions within your group.
Brainstorm for five minutes and add your own improvements or
changes to those on the paper and refold the paper into an airplane.
Call time at the five minutes.
Teams line up again and fly their revised Idea Airplane to each other.
Repeat the same process until all teams add their own ideas to
improve the value proposition until airplane comes back to the
original owner.
? Which of the three elements of the value propositions seemed
the strongest?
? Do you have to have all three elements of the value propositions
to compete? Why or why not?
? What did you like best from other people’s commercials?
? How did the ideas provided by other groups make you want to
change your product or service?
? How can you get this kind of feedback from your customers?
? You have business idea, now are familiar with business

opportunities. What do you think is next step towards starting a
business?

WHAT’S YOUR SUPERPOWER? – 20 MINUTES
This is a light hearted icebreaker designed to truly break the ice and
reinforce the idea that this classroom is a safe place to be yourself
and not take yourself too seriously. The success of this icebreaker
depends on your own ability to model those behaviours.
Introduce yourself as a superhero, using your superpower. For

example, stand like a superhero and say in your best superhero
voice, “I am Super-‐Organization Woman. My superpower is that I
always know where to put things. My filing systems are incredible.
The sign that I wear on my Super Organization Woman costume is a
set of file folders, neatly organized.”
Now you will each have five minutes to come up with your own
superhero. Begin with something you do really well. For example, if
you can squeeze into a matatu or an elevator no matter how
crowded it is, your superhero name might be Incredible Squeeze
Man. If you can keep your temper no matter what happens, your
superhero name might be Peace Girl.
Decide on your superpower and pick your superhero name. It can be
a goofy one; it can be a serious one.
Call time at the end of five minutes.
Remember your superhero voice and stance. It’s time to reveal your
superhero to another class mate.
Allow the group to circulate around the room, until everyone has
met everyone else. Once everyone has met, call the group back
together and debrief the experience:
? What did you learn about the people in this room?
? What superpower was the most interesting? Why?
? How did it feel to create and share your own superpower?
? How does knowing someone’s superpower help you know

them?
? What might you do with what you have learned about each
other?
OVERVIEW OF THE NEXT FIVE WEEKS – 10 MINUTES
For the next five weeks, you will be exploring all of the skills and
knowledge you need in order to effectively facilitate StartUp!
Foundation. During the first three weeks, you will go through the

StartUp! Foundation business development experience, exactly as if

you are participants. You will begin with the Jumpstart program,
which focuses on business ideation or coming up with a business
idea. That will last three days. Next, you will go through the StartUp!
Foundation business model development experience, which will last
another 11 days. You will spend the final one and a half to two
weeks developing your facilitation and coaching skills. You will
practice those skills through a practice facilitation session that you
will teach. You will also practice your coaching skills with each other.
It is a very full five weeks and will require your total attention. Are
you ready?
SET CONTEXT FOR STARTUP! FOUNDATION – 15 MINUTES
For the next 10 days, you will experience the StartUp! Foundation
course exactly as if you are a StartUp! Foundation Participant. You
will come up with business ideas and form business teams to take
your ideas forward. You will work on these business ideas with the
same seriousness that your Participants will bring to the program, as
if you are investing your family savings in these businesses.
? Are there any questions before you get started on your
business development journey?
Begin the StartUp! Foundation modules from here on.

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Copyright © Digital Opportunity Trust, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JUMPSTART VERSION 1 .................................................................................................................. 1

Dual Purpose Program ............................................................................................................... 8

Target Audience ......................................................................................................................... 8

Course Description ..................................................................................................................... 8

JumpStart at a Glance ................................................................................................................ 9

WELCOME AND EXPECTATIONS .................................................................................................... 11

Logistics – 3 minutes ................................................................................................................. 12

Icebreaker: Connect Through Our Passions – 30 minutes ........................................................... 12

Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 12

Large group exercise – 20 minutes .............................................................................................. 12

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 13

Set ground rules – 20 minutes ................................................................................................... 14

Overview of agenda – 20 minutes ............................................................................................. 14

MODULE 1, ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS .......................................................................................... 16

Module Overview ...................................................................................................................... 18

Hero-­‐Entrepreneur Story – 40 minutes ...................................................................................... 18

Record entrepreneurial story – 20 minutes ................................................................................. 18

Review and add details – 10 minutes .......................................................................................... 19

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 19

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 20

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 21

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 22

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 23

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................. 23

Your Entrepreneurial Characteristics – 30 minutes .................................................................... 23

Entrepreneurial self-­‐assessment – 20 minutes ........................................................................... 23

Debrief – 10 minutes ................................................................................................................... 24

MODULE 2, MAP YOUR ASSETS ..................................................................................................... 25

Read Before Facilitating This Module ........................................................................................ 27

Where Are We? – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................... 27

What Are Assets? – 20 minutes ................................................................................................. 28

Personal Assets – 15 minutes .................................................................................................... 30

Map your personal assets – 10 minutes ...................................................................................... 30

Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 30

JumpStart Assets – 20 minutes .................................................................................................. 30

Identify interesting JumpStart Assets – 15 minutes .................................................................... 30

Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 30

Community Assets – 60 minutes ................................................................................................ 31

Brainstorm community assets – 40 minutes ............................................................................... 32

Assemble the map – 5 minutes ................................................................................................... 32

Collect interesting community assets – 15 minutes .................................................................... 33

Focus Your Asset Perspective – 15 minutes ............................................................................... 33

Homework: Two Innovative Objects – 20 minutes ..................................................................... 34

MODULE 3, GENERATING IDEAS .................................................................................................... 37

Icebreaker: Crazy Wish – 10 minutes ......................................................................................... 39

30 second innovative object pitch – 15 minutes ........................................................................ 39

Activity: The Worst Idea Ever – 20 minutes ............................................................................... 40

Brainstorming – 15 minutes ........................................................................................................ 40

Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 41

Group Discussion: Sources Of Ideas – 40 minutes ...................................................................... 41

Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 44

Form Your Business Teams – 30 minutes ................................................................................... 44

Overall Debrief – 10 minutes ..................................................................................................... 45

MODULE 4, THE OPPORTUNITY MARKETPLACE ............................................................................. 46

Activity: Plot Your Opportunities – 45 minutes .......................................................................... 48

Group discussion – 10 minutes .................................................................................................... 48

Feasibility plot– 10 minutes ......................................................................................................... 48

Improve your idea’s position – 15 minutes ................................................................................. 50

Debrief – 5 minutes ..................................................................................................................... 50

Who Is Your Customer? – 20 minutes ........................................................................................ 50

Identifying the problem – 5 minutes ........................................................................................... 52

Write three problem statements – 10 minutes ........................................................................... 53

Hero-‐Entrepreneur Story – 40 minutes ...................................................................................... 18

Entrepreneurial self-‐assessment – 20 minutes ........................................................................... 23

In considering self-‐employment or setting up a business as a career option,

HERO-‐ENTREPRENEUR STORY – 40 MINUTES