Course description

Got a business idea but not sure where to start, what to register, or whether anyone will buy? This course takes you step by step from an idea to your first paying customers in the UK, without jargon and without betting your savings on a guess.

It's a full course, not a quick list of tips. There are 10 sections and 52 step-by-step written lessons, and every lesson ends with a practical task for your own idea. Every section has a practice pack of planners, calculators and checklists. Throughout the course you follow a school administrator as she tests, sets up and launches a small chutney and jam business alongside her job.

What you'll learn

• Your idea: choosing an idea, finding your customers and testing demand before you spend.
• Setting up: sole trader or limited company, registering with HMRC, business names, licences, insurance and data protection.
• Money: start-up costs, pricing, break-even, cash flow forecasts and funding options.
• Planning: a one-page plan and a full business plan you'll actually use.
• Your brand: a name, logo, packaging, website and social media on a budget.
• Selling: first customers, markets, online shops, stockists and consumer rights.
• Running it: suppliers, stock, routines, working from home and looking after the money.

Two final projects

You'll write a one-page business plan with a 3-month cash flow forecast for your own idea, then a step-by-step launch plan.

Who this course is for

• Anyone in the UK with a business idea they want to test properly.
• Employees who want to start a side business alongside their job.
• Makers, crafters and service providers ready to start charging.
• People who've just started and want to check they've covered the basics.

How the course works

Read each lesson, then do the Try it task for your own idea. The planners open in Excel, Google Sheets or similar. This course is general business education, not legal or tax advice: it explains UK rules in plain terms and shows you where to check the latest details on gov.uk. You keep lifetime access, so you can come back as your business grows.

What will i learn?

• Choose and test a business idea before spending much money
• Understand sole trader, partnership and limited company set-ups and what to register
• Check business names, licences, insurance and data protection basics
• Work out start-up costs, prices, break-even and a cash flow forecast
• Write a one-page business plan and a full plan you'll actually use
• Build a simple brand, website and social media presence on a budget
• Find first customers through markets, online shops and stockists
• Run the day to day and keep on top of the money

Frequently asked question