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Nydus Open Learning

Small business

Small business · Strategy, growth and resilience

Strategy, growth and resilience

Where the business goes next, and what could stop it: a market position, an advantage a competitor cannot easily copy, cost against differentiation, a focus and the substitutes customers already have, and the world outside the business; measurable goals, leading measures, conditional forecasts, sensitivity, scenarios, decision break-even, opportunity and sunk cost; growth constraints, growth cash, equipment against people against price, economies of scale, a second product, choosing a location and testing a second one; scaling quality, standards, motivating and leading a team, and deciding not to grow; and risk, insurance limits, records, security, tools, continuity, a business plan and pitch, and a strategy decision. Five US small businesses, their figures drawn fresh on every attempt.

Ages 16+ 35 lessons about 22 hours in all

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The lessons

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  1. 1 Choose a market position
  2. 2 Test an advantage
  3. 3 Cost and differentiation
  4. 4 Choose a focus
  5. 5 Identify substitutes
  6. 6 Read local market evidence
  7. 7 Read the world outside the business
  8. 8 Write a measurable goal
  9. 9 Choose a leading measure
  10. 10 Build a conditional forecast
  11. 11 Test sensitivity
  12. 12 Compare scenarios
  13. 13 Find the break-even on a decision
  14. 14 Use opportunity cost
  15. 15 Ignore sunk cost
  16. 16 Locate a growth constraint
  17. 17 Compare ways to relieve a constraint
  18. 18 Plan the cash that growth needs
  19. 19 Compare growth choices
  20. 20 Use economies of scale
  21. 21 Test a second product
  22. 22 Choose a location
  23. 23 Test a second location
  24. 24 Protect quality while scaling
  25. 25 Choose what to standardize
  26. 26 Motivate and lead a team
  27. 27 Decide not to grow
  28. 28 Map a business risk
  29. 29 Read insurance limits
  30. 30 Keep useful records
  31. 31 Protect payments and data
  32. 32 Choose a tool
  33. 33 Write a continuity plan
  34. 34 Write a business plan and pitch
  35. 35 Make a strategy decision