Learning Path 06

Building a Business

From business plan to revenue model.

Lessons 8
Estimated Time 7-9 Hours
Level Intermediate to Advanced
Instructors David & April Hall
Curriculum

8 Lessons. Zero Filler.

01
The Business Plan That Works
Lean business plan methodology. Executive summary, market analysis, financial projections, competitive positioning.
60 min

What You Will Learn

How to write a business plan that actually gets used. Lean business plan methodology -- executive summary, market analysis, financial projections, and competitive positioning that guides real decisions.

Frameworks

Lean Canvas Market Sizing Competitive Analysis

Key Resource

Lean Business Plan Template -- a streamlined framework that covers everything investors and operators need without the filler.

Action Step

Complete your lean business plan with market analysis, financial projections, and competitive positioning for your venture.

02
Revenue Model Design
14 revenue streams mapped. AdSense, affiliates, digital products, consulting, licensing, SaaS. How to stack multiple streams.
60 min

What You Will Learn

How to design a revenue model with multiple streams that compound. 14 revenue streams mapped -- from AdSense to affiliates to digital products to consulting to licensing to SaaS. How to stack them for maximum resilience.

Revenue Streams

AdSense Affiliates Digital Products Consulting Licensing SaaS

Key Resource

Revenue Model Map -- all 14 streams with expected margins, time-to-revenue, and stacking strategy.

Action Step

Select your primary and secondary revenue streams and build a 12-month revenue projection for each one.

03
Digital Products at Scale
Product value ladder (free to premium), platform selection, pricing strategy, launch methodology.
60 min

What You Will Learn

How to build and sell digital products with a value ladder from free to premium. Platform selection (Lemon Squeezy, Gumroad), pricing strategy, and launch methodology that generates revenue from day one.

Platforms Covered

Lemon Squeezy Gumroad Stripe

Key Resource

Digital Product Launch Playbook -- from idea validation to pricing to launch sequence with templates for each stage.

Action Step

Design your product value ladder with at least 3 tiers, set up your sales platform, and create your first digital product.

04
Operational Efficiency
Process mapping, automation identification, AI replacement analysis. Eliminate waste before you scale.
45 min

What You Will Learn

How to map every process in your business, identify what can be automated, and run an AI replacement analysis to eliminate waste before you scale. The operational foundation that makes growth profitable.

Tools Covered

Zapier Make Custom Scripts

Key Resource

Operations Audit Framework -- process mapping templates, automation scoring criteria, and AI replacement analysis worksheets.

Action Step

Map your top 10 recurring processes, score each one for automation potential, and automate the top 3.

05
Financial Modeling for Founders
Profitability analysis, break-even calculations, scenario planning (conservative/moderate/aggressive), cash flow management.
60 min

What You Will Learn

How to build financial models that guide real business decisions. Profitability analysis, break-even calculations, 3-scenario planning (conservative, moderate, aggressive), and cash flow management for bootstrapped businesses.

Tools Covered

Google Sheets Excel QuickBooks

Key Resource

Financial Model Template -- a ready-to-use spreadsheet with revenue projections, expense tracking, break-even analysis, and 3-scenario planning.

Action Step

Build your financial model with 3 scenarios, calculate your break-even point, and set up monthly cash flow tracking.

06
The S-Corp Advantage
Entity structure, reasonable salary, tax optimization, quarterly estimates, bookkeeping automation.
45 min

What You Will Learn

Why the S-Corp structure saves most small business owners significant money. Entity structure decisions, reasonable salary determination, tax optimization strategies, quarterly estimate calculations, and bookkeeping automation.

Tools Covered

QuickBooks Gusto IRS Guidelines

Key Resource

S-Corp Setup Guide -- entity comparison chart, reasonable salary calculator, quarterly estimate worksheet, and bookkeeping automation checklist.

Action Step

Evaluate whether S-Corp election makes sense for your business, calculate your reasonable salary, and set up automated bookkeeping.

07
Scaling with AI
Where AI replaces human labor ($37K-$68K/year in savings), AI-first operational design, tool evaluation framework.
60 min

What You Will Learn

Where AI replaces human labor and what that means in real dollar savings ($37K-$68K/year per role replaced). AI-first operational design, tool evaluation framework, and how to build a business that scales without scaling headcount.

Tools Covered

Claude Gemini Zapier AI Custom Automations

Key Resource

AI Replacement Analysis -- role-by-role breakdown of what AI can handle today, estimated savings, and implementation roadmap.

Action Step

Run an AI replacement analysis on your current operations and implement AI for the top 3 highest-savings opportunities.

08
The Execution Plan
Day-by-day launch methodology, dependency mapping, milestone tracking, risk mitigation. Stress-tested by virtual C-suite review.
60 min

What You Will Learn

How to build an execution plan that survives contact with reality. Day-by-day launch methodology, dependency mapping, milestone tracking, risk mitigation strategies, and how to stress-test your plan with a virtual C-suite review.

Frameworks

Launch Methodology Dependency Mapping Risk Matrix C-Suite Review

Key Resource

Execution Plan Template -- day-by-day launch timeline, dependency map, milestone tracker, and risk mitigation checklist.

Action Step

Build your 90-day execution plan with milestones, dependencies, and risk mitigation. Run a virtual C-suite review to stress-test it.

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