S B I
C O A C H I N G
M O D U L E S
The Small Business Incubator program at Fremd High School offers students an authentic entrepreneurship experience. In this program, students have the opportunity to create and fully develop
their own product or service. Real entrepreneurs and business experts serve as volunteer coaches and mentors guiding students through the Lean Startup methods of developing a business
model concept, testing the concept, and refining their business model.
Over the course of two semesters, students work in teams and learn by doing. They develop a
business model canvas, gain market input on a minimum viable product, and iterate all elements
to improve their business model. Students will be part of a learning partnership comprised of
volunteer coaches, mentors, and the classroom teacher.
Coaches provide authentic business expertise in a specific area. They come into the classroom
for a 50 minute class period (2-4 times) to provide all students with a real-world context for a
specific curricular area. The coach and classroom teacher plan and present together.
1. Ideation
2. Customer
Discovery
3. Customer
Connections
4. Dollars and
Cents
5. Building an
MVP
6. Validation/
Experiment
7. Promotion
8. Operations/
Pitches
Mentors are assigned to one team and follow them through the entire business model
development process, providing students with feedback and encouragement. Mentors are
interacting with their team on a weekly basis during class time. Interaction should be in person to
start with, but as the year progresses, can be accomplished either electronically, via conference
Chad Jonas is the certified classroom teacher that will manage and instruct the class, working with
volunteer coaches and mentors to generate a real business experience.
Student teams pitch their ideas to an advisory board at mid-year in a MVP (Minimum Viable
Product) presentation for real funding. This program culminates with a “Pitch” to an investment
panel for real funding to potentially turn their business model concept into reality.
Summer training sessions will be offered for volunteer coaches and mentors. As for the
curriculum, there are eight units that span the entrepreneurship process, from Ideation to Finance
to Execution. Modules and lesson plans are completely
laid out, but there is also flexibility in teaching the points
of a lesson. These modifications will be worked on when
the coaches have their planning session with the teacher.
August—January
January—June
Semester 1
Semester 2
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Ideation

Group Ideation

Value Proposition
Building an MVP


Customer Discovery
Web/App Development
Validation/Experimentation

Business Regulation

Customer Segmentation

Technology Planning

Market Sizing

Legal

Customer Connections
Promotion

Positioning

Growth Engine

Internet Marketing

Marketing Planning

Sales Planning
Dollars and Cents

Pricing

Financial Modeling

Operations/Pitches

Staffing/Operations

Insurance

Finances

Funding Requests
For More Information,
Fremd SBI Instructor
Fremd Career Advisor/SBI Liaison
Please Contact:
Chad Jonas
Jan Brottman
224-653-2221
847-755-2657
[email protected]
[email protected]
Fremd SBI Community Champion
@D211SBI
Geoff Yunker
www.D211SBI.org
William Fremd High School
1000 S. Quentin Road
Palatine, IL 60067
RETHINKING BUSINESS
EDUCATION



AUTHENTIC
RELEVANT
COLLABORATIVE