📚 Course Overview
The Fueling Your Business Dreams course is designed to help individuals who have been impacted by the criminal legal system secure the financial resources needed to start and grow their small businesses. Many traditional funding sources may be complex to access due to past legal involvement, but this course will explore alternative funding options and strategic approaches to overcoming these barriers.
To build a compelling funding proposal, you will learn how to assess your financial needs and explore grants, micro-loans, and crowdfunding options. By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to pursue funding opportunities that align with your business goals and personal circumstances.
🧠 What You’ll Learn
This course provides step-by-step guidance on securing funding, whether you’re starting from scratch or scaling an existing business. You’ll begin by understanding your financial needs and the obstacles system-impacted entrepreneurs can often face when starting a business.
Next, you’ll explore a variety of funding options, including grants, micro-loans, community lenders, crowdfunding, and government-backed programs. You’ll learn how to craft a strong funding proposal, position your story as a strength, and develop the financial credibility needed to attract lenders and investors.
Finally, you’ll learn how to manage your funding wisely, avoid financial pitfalls, and reinvest in your business for long-term success. This course will equip you with practical strategies to sustain and grow your business beyond the initial funding stage.
✅ Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Assess your business’s financial needs and determine the right funding strategy.
- Identify and apply for grants, microloans, and alternative funding sources.
- Build a compelling funding proposal that appeals to lenders and investors.
- Develop financial credibility despite past challenges.
📝 Course Outline
Lesson 1: Understanding Your Financial Needs
Learning Objectives:
- Determine if you need funding and how much funding you need to start or grow your business.
- Learn the key costs of launching and running a business.
- Explore different funding strategies: bootstrapping vs. external funding.
Lesson 2: Overcoming Barriers to Funding
Learning Objectives:
- Understand common financial challenges for system-impacted entrepreneurs.
- Shift your mindset: How to turn past obstacles into business strengths.
- Learn strategies for building trust with lenders and investors.
Lesson 3: Exploring Alternative Funding Sources
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to discover grant opportunities
- Learn how to apply for microloans and connect with community lenders.
- Explore crowdfunding platforms and peer-to-peer lending as funding options.
- Understand government and state-backed programs that support reentry entrepreneurs.
Lesson 4: Building Your Funding Plan
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to write a simple yet effective funding proposal.
- Understand what lenders and investors look for in a business.
- Identify key documents needed, such as a business plan and financial projections.
Lesson 5: Making the Most of Your Funding & Next Steps
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how to effectively manage and allocate funding to maximize business growth.
- Learn strategies to avoid common financial pitfalls that can lead to debt or business failure.
- Develop a plan to reinvest profits and build financial independence over time.
- Identify next steps to sustain and scale your business beyond initial funding.
