Advance Course Curriculum Overview.pdf

Equity Programming and Community Outreach Advanced Course Descriptions & Overview

FINANCIAL PLANNING & MONEY MANAGEMENT

Budgeting, Money Management and Projections

Budgeting, money management, and projections course provides an advanced review of how to budget business finances from Provisional through the first 3 years of operations. How to project what expenses will be, along with the where and how to find additional resources. Providing guidance for participants to make smart money moves in business for anyone who has not been successful in managing individual finances or wants to know how to properly manage business accounts. Including making sure the business has runway understanding the value of cash flow, and preparing for unforeseen expenses, etc.

• Discussions overviewing practical business estimates and projections for revenues and profits in addition to expenses.

• Best practices regarding the possible need to raise additional capital resources, expanding on the concept of raising capital and strategies for when participants have received approval to commence operations.

Raising Capital Strategies

Raising capital strategies provides techniques and best practices to attract investors now that a Provisional or Final license is secured. Covering where to look for investors, how to develop and refine an elevator pitch, understanding your value proposition, what to do once investors have interest in the project, and how to structure the right deal. This course will also give an overview of the tools needed to close capital, SEC requirements for raising capital, the stages of raising capital, alternative funds available (such as grants, the Social Equity Fund, etc.), educational resources, and more.

• Raising Capital after commencing operations and how to identify the need for raising additional resources (if needed) once the doors have opened.

• Pitch competitions – speak specifically on scholarships, pitch competitions, and other opportunities designed specifically for SEP participants.

• Discuss how your elevator pitch can be perfected, re-developed and used in this situation.

Mock Investor Meeting (How to Negotiate – Everyone Wins) Mock investor meeting course is designed to be interactive and engaging, this course will run through the process of the raising capital pitch playbook. Sample techniques, documents, speaking points and tools will be utilized in real-time mock proposal meetings. This course will be from the perspective of a business with a provisional license and will navigate through interactive demonstrations of negotiation strategies for leveraging the businesses’ collateral.

Target the Right Investors Targeting the right investors course is designed to help each participant to create their own ideal investor profile, to enable business owners to ensure that they are only focusing their efforts on the most promising targets. Covering how to reach out to these investors, reinforcing productive networking techniques, cultivating a positive rapport, how to effectively and efficiently communicate, completing due diligence, providing participant with the tools needed to close in on a good investor match for your business, ensuring your values align, how to follow up with investors, how to show value and how to keep potential investors involved before they invest.

• Highlighting issues with predatory lending with real life examples of instances in the industry, how to spot these predatory deals and how to walk away.

• Refer to Predatory Lending course for review further.

Equity Programming and Community Outreach

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing your Organization

Developing your organization is a beneficial course for all participants of which takes a dive into how to develop and structure your organization. Including topics on developing the vision for the organization and re-adjusting it based on an analysis of the business, industry, and competitors.

• Establishing/ Understanding your place in the market o Know your competition.

o Compare and contrast the current competition.

o Know your value propositions, what do you bring to the industry that’s different.

o Determine your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT analysis)

• Creating a Vision for your organization o Develop strategies to achieve the vision you have for your organization.

• Communicating that Vision o Develop strategies to showcase the vision of your organization.

• Encouraging the development of that Vision o Be proactive to get rid of things that do not align with the vision you have for your organization.

• Understanding how those from the legacy market can help you- do not box them out.

Building A Sustainable Organization & Human Resources Structuring

Exploring how to structure an organizational chart based on your business type, who to have as your ancillary partners, how to support your business from within through roles such as cannabis lawyers, cannabis accountants, bookkeepers, and tax preparers. Providing an overview of what management systems are, how they are used and how they will help your business become sustainable. Reviewing process improvement techniques, how to ensure time is used effectively while keeping track of the cost and reducing wastefulness.

Identifying and providing in-depth guidance regarding human resource tools and processes including job descriptions, recruiting, and hiring, onboarding, handbooks, company policies, benefits and compensation, time off requests, performance management, mandatory trainings, employee relations, etc.

• Additional context regarding the importance physical/personal safety in the workplace, safety protocols such as ventilation, operating heavy machinery, good hygiene practices etc.

Understanding and Developing Culture- Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the Organization

Organizational policies, procedures, programs along with practices that cultivate a culture that promotes and supports diversity, equity and inclusion with the representation and participation of different groups of individuals. DEI encompasses people of different ages, races, ethnicities, abilities, disabilities, genders, religions, cultures, and sexual orientations.

• Discussions on diversity training and its importance and how to create an inclusive and welcoming work environment for all.

• The significance of DEI training, unconscious bias training for interacting with staff and customers.

• Reinforcing the importance of the focus on culture, understanding the current demographics within the industry, the community, and practices to be most impactful.

• DBE businesses (veteran, women owned, LGBTQIA+, diversity, etc.) and how to support other DBE, SEP and EEA owned establishments.

Equity Programming and Community Outreach

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

Finding Your Lane and Leveling Up Your Business

Finding your lane and leveling up your business provides the knowledge of how to identify your place in your business, understanding the need for your business to evolve within the industry, finding your position in the marketplace. Strategies for your organization to have the best impact ensuring you have the right person in the right seat. This course will discuss how to take your business to the next level, whether it by adding unique products, increasing customer basket sizes, or adding specific services. Providing participants with the tools needed to analyze how your business is better than others, how to enhance what makes your business unique, leveraging your business to attract new business and or customers.

• Understanding your role as an SE participant and how you can impact equity within the regulated industry.

• Finding your niche market/industry.

• Understanding your business’ value proposition.

Developing Your Staff

Developing your staff is designed to discuss opportunities to help participants cultivate success and retention among leadership and staff. Topics will include training, development opportunities, shadow opportunities, certifications, what each level of management should be managing, how to manage and what to manage. It will also discuss how to deal with your manager and best practices for managing conflicts.

• Scholarship opportunities for professional development and conferences

• Certifications: OSHA, CPR/AED, ServSafe trainings, Cannabis knowledge certification etc. (Certifications | National Career Certification Board (nccboard.org))

• Discussions regarding employee retention, how to much it costs to hire employees vs.

retaining, cost to train, etc. Show benefits of offering trainings and development opportunities to staff.

• Effective Leadership Training

Creating Brand Awareness

Creating brand awareness discussion will cover advanced marketing, merchandise and social media tactics specifically linked to increasing brand awareness. This course will also provide a roadmap for direct marketing at events such as a grand opening, trade shows, special promotions, Patient Appreciation Day (PAD), community involvement, etc.

https://nccboard.org/certifications/17