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Small business is more than just marketing and selling. It demands a complete business skill set that we'll help you develop, one video at a time. From start-up to growth and beyond.

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GoForth's small business training helps you develop your business skills, at your own pace. Through a series of short instructional videos, we teach you 100 Essential Business SkillsTM necessary for success. We've also designed time-tested, award-winning additional resources to complement your online or mobile learning. GoForth's Business Builder e-book, worksheets and quizzes help you reinforce your skills. Get one year unlimited access to all this and more.

 

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Learn By Video

GoForth’s small business training is 100% online and mobile. This means no traveling, no schedule restrictions, and savings for you! We designed our 100 Essential Small Business SkillsTM Program to work with your schedule. Got 20 minutes? Got five minutes? You can learn critical, practical business tools in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee. Interested? Read more below

100 Small Business Skills

GoForth offers Canada's leading online small business education, used by over 10,000 Canadian entrepreneurs since 2009 to build their small business skills. We designed our program to work with your schedule. Got 20 minutes? Got five minutes? You can learn critical, practical business tools in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee.

Welcome To 100 Essential Small Business Skills

Welcome to 100 Essential Small Business SkillsTM. Since 2009, thousands of entrepreneurs just like you have taken our training - and 90% of them are still in business today! Learn about the fundamentals of this program, and what you can expect. We're excited to have you join us!

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Welcome to 100 Essential Small Business Skills

Why can taking small business training make the difference between small business success and failure? GoForth's Founder and President Dr. Leslie McGeough outlines the benefits you can receive from taking Canada's leading entrepreneurship training, and how you can beat the tough odds of small business.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

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Preparing for the Journey

Before you begin the small business journey, you need to take stock -- of you.

What is Entrepreneurship?

Anyone can start and operate a small business – in fact, on average 86 new businesses are started every hour in North America. But what does it take to be successful in business? In this video lesson, we’ll discuss what it means to be an entrepreneur, and we'll review the most important characteristics you’ll need to develop to become a world-class entrepreneur.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Entrepreneurship Myths

Is starting a business easier than working for someone else? Is entrepreneurship only for the young? Is writing a business plan unneccessary? In this video lesson we'll do some small business mythbusting, and give you the real facts about the entrepreneur life.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Pros and Cons of Entrepreneurship

Looking forward to flexible work hours, more tax deductions, and personal achievement? What about a heavy workload, more admin duties, and loss of structure? We'll review the pros of entrepreneurship, and give you tips for dealing with the cons.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Marshalling Resources

Are there things that successful business owners have or do that distinguish them from those who don’t succeed in business? The answer is a very definite yes. Although there are many features of small business success, the entrepreneur’s ability to marshal resources consistently contributes, more or less, to an individual’s expected success in business.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Ideas and Opportunities

Good ideas don’t necessarily make good business opportunities. Only about four in 100 new product ideas actually have commercial potential. Let us help you improve those odds.

VPMF Test

To us, a good business opportunity is represented by four pillars – value, problem-solving, money-making, and fit. In this video lesson, we'll review the difference between a business idea and a business opportunity. Does your idea pass our VPMF Test?

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Creativity

Creativity is the ability to view the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated things and to find solutions - and it's something all entrepreneurs can develop. Your small business will thank you!

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Idea Sources

Where do small business ideas come from? In this video lesson, we'll review the four stages of the Opportunity Recognition Process. The more we understand the process, the more we can make it happen.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Developing Customers and Understanding Your Competitors, Industry and Business Environment

In our interviews with existing and experienced entrepreneurs, the most common piece of advice we heard was: Solve someone’s pain, and solve it better than anyone else!

Customer Development

Where do you get your ideal customer and how do you learn about them? Learn how to truly understand your customer in this video.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Competitive Analysis

"What do you mean I have competition? That’s impossible – we’re unique!" Not true. Every business has competition – both direct and indirect, and it’s important to understand who or what you’re competing against. 

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Industry Analysis

Your new business will be competing within a community of other similar businesses, known as your industry, or more specifically your industry sector. It’s important to analyze the industry in which your business will operate – and we’ll show you how.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Business Environment

No business operates in a vacuum. The business environment around you can have an impact on you, your company, and your success. Here's how to analyze your business environment.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Design it First: Establishing Value, Creating Models

In this Class, we'll discuss the Value Proposition Canvas and Business Model Canvas - tools you can use to establish the value to the marketplace. We'll show you how to design a business model that will work to create a successful, sustainable business.

Value Proposition Canvas

The Value Proposition Canvas helps us to systematically understand what customers want and to create products and services that perfectly match their needs. Here's how it works.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Business Model Canvas

In this lesson, we cover the Business Model Canvas: a widely-used concept that allows you to describe and think through the business model of your small business, your competitors, or any other company.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Going Lean: The Lean Start-Up Movement

In this video lesson, we introduce you to the principles of Lean Start-up, developing minimum viable products, testing and prototyping, and validating your product or service idea.

Lean Start-up

Launching a new business - whether it’s a tech start-up, a small business, or an initiative within a large corporation - has always been a hit-or-miss proposition. The odds are not with you, because about 70% of all start-ups fail. In the last decade, however, the Lean approach to managing start-up has emerged, and it can make the process of starting a company less risky.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Build, Measure, Learn

So just how do you implement Lean into your business? In this video lesson we continue our exploration of Lean Start-up by examining its cycle of planning, testing, and evolution.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Interviewing Customers

Get out of the building! In Lean Start-up, getting out of the building and talking to potential customers, asking them for their feedback on your minimum viable product, is critical. This way, you'll gain solid evidence to prove the viability of your prototype or idea.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Sizing It Up: Can I Make Money At This?

Forecast your revenue, estimate your costs and demystify your financial statements.

The Importance of Your Financials

In this Class, we begin a look at the numbers. Yes, dreaded numbers. But don’t worry — your calculator won’t blow a circuit, nor will you. Natalie Callendar explains why it's vital that every entrepreneur keep on top of their financials.

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Estimating Sales

What kind of profit will you get? This is vital information that you should estimate before you open your doors. Here's how.

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Estimating Costs

Estimating and managing expenses is a skill you can't afford to ignore. In this video lesson we'll review the three types of costs you'll need to estimate in your business.

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Break-Even Analysis

You're probably in business to make money, and a break-even analysis will help you estimate exactly when that will happen.

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Record-keeping, Billing, and Collections

Sorry, receipts stuffed in a drawer to deal with "later" won't cut it. Here's how to keep good records, and stay on top of your accounts receivable and accounts payable.

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Working Capital and Cash Flow

Your next step in understanding revenues and costs is to understand flows of cash as they move through your small business. Not keeping an eye on your cash needs is one of the quickest routes to business failure.

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Income Statements and Balance Sheets

Most small business owners don't like accounting. But it gets less scary when you understand how to read your reports - we'll show you how!

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Ratio Analysis

Learn four pain-free ratios to help you determine the health of your business and make better decisions.

Instructor: Nathalie Callender

Get Selling! Marketing Strategies That Work

Marketing is not an expense, it’s an investment. We'll help you get a clear understanding of not only what marketing is and why you should do it, but we'll get you on your way to creating your own marketing plan.

Marketing Plan

You can do a four-year university degree in marketing, but we'll save you the time. In this video, we'll review a marketing plan - what it is and how you create one.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Finding Your Ideal Customer

Small businesses usually have small marketing budgets. Stretch your marketing dollar by strategically targeting and segmenting your customers.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Marketing Strategy

One of the most enduring marketing concepts is the marketing mix – the name given to the marketing strategy that incorporates a defined target market as well as the 4Ps – Price, Product, Promotion, and Place strategies. We'll discuss these elements and how you can apply them to your business.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Branding

People remember brands. If a customer has the choice to buy from several companies, they'll most often buy from the one whose brand they remember most. Let's review the components that go into developing a brand, including brand experience, brand identity, brand image, brand pillars and brand equity.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Quotations, Sales Proposals, and Negotiatng

If you're in business, you're in the selling business. In this video lesson, we'll share tips for preparing strong quotations and sales proposals, and negotiating without breaking a sweat.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Building Your Team

Your business is only as good as the people in it, so let's discover how to find - and retain - the best.

Building Your Team

Who do you want to have representing your business? Dale Hansen discusses the importance of the founding team, and how to find the best people to help you get started.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Managing Your Small Business

Managing a small firm is different than managing a large corporation. However, managing and leading employees and other people is critical to success. In this video lesson we'll show you how to establish strong working relationships, motivate employees, and manage risk.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Corporate and Organizational Culture

No matter what business you step into, no matter what industry, you will experience what's called a corporate culture. The culture of your workplace can have a huge impact on the happiness and productivity of your staff, which in turn has a huge impact on the success of your business. In this video we'll share tips for building a strong corporate culture your entire company will enjoy.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Planning, Controlling, and Leadership

How do you set a strong example as a leader in your small business? In this video, we'll unpack all that goes into being a leader that will inspire, empower, and ultimately retain your employees. Leadership skills such as planning, organization, and controlling and monitoring processes can be learned, and they're vitally important to develop.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Hiring the Right People

How do you hire employees who are not only great at their jobs, but the right fit for your company? Let's discuss how to find, hire, and retain your next great employee.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Termination

Inevitably, you will lose employees at some point throughout the life of your company. In this video lesson we'll review the ins and outs - as well as the legalities - of terminating an employee.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Compensation

In order to attract and retain employees, you need to offer appealing compensation. There are many forms of compensation, such as paid vacations, assistance with childcare, flexible hours, commissions, and bonuses. We'll review the different forms of compensation, and how to create a strong benefits package.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Choosing A Location

This Class will give you practical tips and tools for that all-important (and sometimes baffling) business location search.

Location, Location, Location!

Your business location is one of the most critical decisions you have to make - whether you have a retail business or otherwise. We'll discuss the components of a location analysis, including accessibility, competition, business environment, proximity to customers and suppliers, and availability of resources. We'll also review leasing, renting, and buying options.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Location Grid

When it comes to choosing your perfect small business location, you need to evaluate and weigh your prospective locations against each other. GoForth's Location Grid is a handy, systematic way to analyze your location shortlist and zero in on the components that will most improve your odds of small business success.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Rent, Lease, or Buy?

In this video lesson we'll take a deeper look at the components, pros, and cons of renting, leasing, or buying your small business location.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Home Office Considerations

Many entrepreneurs, particularly those running service-oriented businesses without client meetings or in-person sales, find success in working from a home office. Let's review the unique considerations of home-based entrepreneurship, tax writeoffs that may be available, and how to stay organized and motivated when working from your home office.

Instructor: Dale Hansen

Running a Great Business: Operations Management and Strategic Growth

Operations management is a critical success factor for small businesses. This Class will share best practices for a smoothly-running business behind the scenes.

Customer Experience Defined (CX)

Without happy customers, you wouldn't have much of a business. In this video lesson, we'll examine the components of a great customer experience (CX). We'll share tips and tools for defining, delivering and measuring customer satisfaction. Let us help you design the kind of customer experience that will result in smiles all around.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Operations Process

If your car's engine doesn't work, it doesn't matter how great it looks. Your small business is no different. Your operations process - the activities, processes, and controls your company uses to produce products and services - needs to be running well in order to see success. This video lesson will help you identify all the necessary factors that will help move your business forward.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Managing Quality

Are you providing a quality product or services? How can you tell? This lesson discusses the value your customer gets from doing business with you, how to measure that quality, and how to empower your team to deliver that value time and time again.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Managing Productivity

Improving small business productivity in the operations process involves an analysis of workflow, individual jobs, equipment, technology, physical layout, working conditions and customer feedback options. Let's explore some ways you can analyze and improve your business - and personal - productivity.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

The Five Whys

Something, sometime, somewhere is going to go wrong. Asking "five whys" is a useful way to get to the heart of a problem or mistake in your process, so you can fix the real issue. We'll go through an example in this lesson.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Ready, Set, Grow!

Do you have a strategic plan? It answers the questions, "Where are we going, and how are we going to get there?" Norman Leach breaks down all the important components of the GoForth Ten-Step Strategic Growth Plan. This will get you and your small business off to a running start every year.

Instructor: Norman Leach

The Legal Side of Small Business

Learn the legal forms of business organization, how to protect your intellectual property, and how to keep your business safe.

Legal Forms of Organization

Sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or cooperative? Steve Major outlines the main legal forms of small business organization, so you can more easily determine which will be best for you.

Instructor: Steve Major

Considerations for Indigenous Entrepreneurs

Special tax rules apply to Status Indians and First Nations as sole proprietors or partners in a small business, which may dictate your choice of business form. Find out if there's anything you must keep in mind when starting your small business.

Instructor: Steve Major

Business Names

Your business name can have a huge impact on the perception of your company. In this video lesson we'll review important things to keep in mind - legal and otherwise - when naming your business.

Instructor: Steve Major

Intellectual Property Protection

This video will tell you all you need to know about protecting your intellectual property - patents, copyright, trademarks, industrial design, trade secrets, and licensing.

Instructor: Steve Major

Legal Considerations for Small Business Owners

We wrap up our legal look at entrepreneurship by covering business registration, agreements, insurance, ethics, and fraud.

Instructor: Steve Major

Funding Your Venture

Learn about different sources of equity financing, debt financing and angel or venture capital financing - and create your very own elevator pitch.

Build a Financial Plan

Every entrepreneur needs money to get started, and to keep their business moving forward. In this video lesson, we'll review all the key steps in developing a plan to get the financial resources your business needs.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Funding Your Venture - Equity

Let's review the main sources of equity financing — all of which come at a cost to you, because you give up some ownership of your business in return for investment capital.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Funding Your Venture - Debt

Another form of small business funding is debt — or money loaned to you or your business. In return, the lender has a right to earn interest on the loan. We'll review the main types of debt financing.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Elevator Pitch

Can you clearly describe your business concept statement in 45 seconds or less? You never know when you'll need to! We'll help you create a strong elevator pitch - a clear, concise and compelling business concept statement that is so attention-getting, it will make people want to hear more.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Colouring Within the Lines: Government Compliance

Entrepreneurs, take note - in this Class we'll cover income taxes, GST compliance and Canadian small business rules and regulations.

Paying Taxes

Cindy Radu will help you understand the ins and outs of paying taxes in a small business, and what tax deductions might be available to you.

Instructor: Cindy Radu

Organizing Records

In this video lesson, we'll give you some hassle-free tips for organizing your paperwork and records. It might not sound too exciting, but you'll be grateful when it comes time to file taxes, hire a bookkeeper, or correspond with government!

Instructor: Cindy Radu

GST/HST Filing

Collecting and remitting good and services tax (GST), Provincial Sales Tax (PST), or Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is one of the responsibilities of being a business owner. We’ll show you how to do it right!

Instructor: Cindy Radu

Input Tax Credits

You may be able to recover the GST/HST that you paid on your purchases and expenses by claiming an input tax credit (ITC) on your GST/HST return. We'll walk you through the process. We'll also discuss record keeping and filing your GST return.

Instructor: Cindy Radu

Being an Employer

If you’ve decided that you can afford to hire and are able to justify filling a new position, there are several things you should be aware of when it comes to your responsibilities as an employer. We'll review topics such as employment standards, payroll, and workers' compensation.

Instructor: Cindy Radu

Paths to Business Ownership

There are many paths into small business ownership-- which one is right for you?

Buying an Existing Business

Businesses, like real estate, come up for sale all the time. This happens when owners want to retire, move or do something else and may not have a family member to turn the business over to. Buying an existing business has a number of advantages and disadvantages, which will discuss in this video.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Franchising

Success rates with franchises are much higher than those of buying an existing business or starting a business from scratch. However, this higher success rate comes at a cost. Join us for an examination of starting and running a franchise.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Starting a Franchise

Now that you're more familiar with franchising, let's take a look at the different franchising options available for you. We'll also tell you what documents and fees you'll need to get in order.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Family Business

Approximately 80% of all firms in Canada are family-owned and family-owned businesses are responsible for half to 70% of Canada’s gross domestic product annually. Let's take a look at the unique considerations of running a family business.

Instructor: Rivers Corbett

Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurship have been around for centuries, quietly forging their way through increasingly complex social structures and disparate levels of wealth and access to basic human necessities, health care and education. In this video lesson, we’ll take a close look of this growing field of interest, research, education, and action.

Social Entrepreneurship Defined

Although a great number of social challenges are currently being tackled, today’s changemakers share one common feature: they are building businesses, products, services and platforms that unleash human potential. They struggle to increase the number of people who have the opportunity to contribute their talents to the world, and to help more people globally live with dignity.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

Here's To Your Success

Congratulations on completing GoForth's training! You now have important skills and knowledge to help your small business succeed.

Congratulations!

Now that you've completed your GoForth training, what's next? GoForth President Leslie McGeough will let you know what your subscription gets you going forward.

Instructor: Leslie McGeough

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