Ask us how you and your class can customize this offering to be done in person in one of our program countries.
Learn and apply concepts of entrepreneurship and business planning, including assessment using the Business Model Canvas, in the context of microenterprises located in resource-limited rural and urban communities in Honduras.
Students are guided by our local economic development professionals and corporate consultants from leading international consulting firms to build business plans for current and aspiring Honduran entrepreneurs. Working in small teams, students will meet multiple times with their client to assess their business, learn the challenges that entrepreneurs face in Latin America, complete industry research, apply concepts of microfinance to improve their business, and utilize our deliverable templates to create and then present customized business plans to their client.
In addition to our skills-based learning objectives, seeking to build intercultural competence is integrated into the course. English and Spanish versions of the final executive summary presentation and the client business plan will be developed with the assistance of our staff.
Business Entrepreneurship Learning Objectives
Students that successfully complete the Business Entrepreneurship Program will be able to:
- Analyze economic and social issues impacting rural communities in a developing country.
- Discuss concepts of microfinance utilized in community banking in Central America.
- Consult with clients from rural communities in a developing country.
- Analyze a business’s strengths and weaknesses to develop appropriate solutions.
- Collaborate with student colleagues and a rural-based business client to develop a business plan to successfully bring a product to market in a developing country.
Resources provided in support of the virtual sessions and Modules
- Bilingual, on-the-ground session facilitators and client liaisons with business backgrounds who will coordinate each virtual session with students.
- A translator is provided in each virtual session in which students engage with business clients.
- Corporate consultant drawn from major consulting firms.
- Full-time local teams that work year-round to support business clients.
- Electronic support materials in Canvas (LMS) are provided to all students.
- Session scheduling that coordinates all class meetings and meetings with business clients.
- Students in each program will work with two business clients in small working groups.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
There are twelve Modules in the Business Entrepreneurship Program that can be variously assembled to build programs of the appropriate length and focus.
Module 1: Introduction to Kambia/Global Brigades, Economic Context in Honduras, Social Determinants Impacting the Economic Situation, and What Does It Mean to be a Consultant in an International Context? (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Discuss the mission and vision of Kambia/Global Brigades, the economic context in Honduras, the social determinants affecting the economic situation of rural communities in this country, and key principles of international business consulting.
Module 1 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will reflect on how to achieve a sustainable business when consulting internationally.
Module 2: The challenges of an Entrepreneur in a rural community, Global Brigades role and How to Consult in Rural Communities in Honduras (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Understand the challenges of an entrepreneur in a rural community and the role of GB to support them. Also, students will understand the key communication skills used in consulting with a rural-based business in Honduras: active listening, empathy, curiosity, being respectful, and being open to feedback; understanding the challenges that rural business owners face; and understanding the challenges that prevent these business owners from being successful.
Module 2 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will complete activities on key communication skills used in the international business consulting process and the cultural factors that are important to keep in mind while consulting with a rural business owner.
Module 3: The Business Model Canvas to get to know your business client (contact time: 2 hours)
Deploy the Business Model Canvas to assess business operations during a business consultation session, identify current key business outcomes, and identify potential improvements based on the client’s profile. Student begin to write the questions to be asked to their client on module 4 using the blocks from the business model canvas.
Module 3 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students continue to write questions for their client to create their business model canvas assessment plan. Students will draft a brief statement in Spanish that they will use to introduce themselves to the client.
Module 4: Meeting the Client session 1(Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Introductory meeting between the client (entrepreneur) and each student group. Students will obtain qualitative information from a rural entrepreneur, while using communication skills such as active listening and rapport-building during the business consultation.
Module 4 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Students will review the details of their client session and summarize their findings.
Module 5: Working Session 1 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Students will work in groups to analyze their client’s business based on the client interview to identify challenges. They will then begin developing proposed solutions to the client’s challenges, prepare new questions to be asked of the client in Module 6 to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed solutions, and present these findings to the session facilitator and client liaisons in the following session to obtain feedback.
Module 5 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Student groups will continue to work on their materials for the meeting with the session facilitator in Module 5.
Module 6: Meeting with Session Facilitator and Working Session 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Student groups will present their business analysis and findings developed in Module 4 to the session facilitator, client liaisons, and students in the other working groups to receive feedback.
Module 6 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Student groups revise their analysis and findings, based on feedback, and prepare a brief presentation of their findings for the client in the next session.
Module 7: Working with the Client, Session 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Student groups present the results of their analysis and findings to their client. Students will then ask their client additional information to gain input on possible solutions to the client’s issues.
Module 7 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Student groups will analyze the information gained from the client to draft the client’s business plan.
Module 8: Working Session 2 (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Student groups continue to work on the client’s business plan and their executive summary presentation for feedback from the Corporate Consultant in the next session.
Module 8 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Student groups continue to revise the client’s business plan and their executive summary presentation for feedback from the Corporate Consultant in the next session.
Module 9: Presentation to the Corporate Consultant for Feedback (contact time: 2 hours)
Student groups present their client’s business plan to the corporate consultant for feedback.
Module 9 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Continue to work on the client’s business plan for final submission and the executive summary presentation for the next session.
Module 10: Executive Summary Presentation Rehearsal and Feedback in small groups (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Student Groups present their Executive Summary presentations and business plans for feedback from the session facilitator, client liaisons, professor, and fellow students.
Module 10 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Student Groups make revisions to their Executive Summary presentations and business plans in preparation for their presentation to their clients.
Module 11: Final Student Group Presentations to the Client (Contact time: 2 hours est.)
Student Groups present their Executive Summary presentations and business plans to their clients and receive feedback from their clients.
Module 11 – Self-paced follow-up activities:
Student Groups complete revisions to their Executive Summary presentations and business plans and submit final materials. Students complete the evaluation survey.
Module 12: Group Discussion on Consultation Experience and Final Reflection (Contact time: 1-2 hours est.)
Final group reflection and discussion of the consultation experience.
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