The first step in the Urban Business Support program is the “Business Plan in a Day” (BPD). The curriculum is driven by a state-of-the-art Business Planning App. The App takes LMI entrepreneurs through the process of creating a business plan using a series of point-and-click, interactive exercises. The App organizes the participants’ information, prompts responses to business questions, and produces a business plan, personal budget, and business financials sufficient to present to a microlending institution. The BPD walks participants through The App, facilitated by Urban Business Support’s trained staff, over the course of six hours. Having even a basic businesses plan will allow these business owners to grow their small business- creating jobs, building assets, preventing displacement, and maintaining the diversity of our communities.

The second step is the 30-hour Entrepreneurship Program. This course builds upon the business plan developed in the BPD, helping the entrepreneurs continue to analyze and develop their business model, improve their credit health, and make sound business decisions. Furthermore, the curriculum’s group-based activity methodology helps build camaraderie among the business owners, which follows them outside of the classroom and into their communities. At the end of each cohort, a panel of experts judges the plans and the winner receives a $5,000 grant to use for starting or growing their business.

Finally, graduates of the EP are paired with a business advisor to help implement and further develop the business plan they created. The Advisor Program is a value-add to Urban Business Support’s Entrepreneurship Program. The advisor passes on theoretical knowledge the small business owner lacks, and the classroom curriculum ties it together in a practical way. The result is a small business owner with the knowledge of a business analyst and the savviness of an entrepreneur, leading to much wiser decision-making.