What Does a Director of Operations Do? And How to Become One
January 22, 2025
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This course is part of Innovation: From Creativity to Entrepreneurship Specialization
Instructor: Thomas E. Parkinson
39,157 already enrolled
Included with
(725 reviews)
(725 reviews)
Design a go-to-market strategy to approach initial customers.
Develop financial projections for the new venture.
Develop a plan for raising equity capital for the new venture.
Operate and monitor the new venture’s health and scalability.
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This course builds on previous concepts and outlines strategies and tactics for forming, financing, and launching a new venture. Topics to be addressed will include building the new venture’s initial management team, identifying and reaching out to early customers, developing financial plans, raising startup and initial growth financing, and preparing for and managing rapid growth.
You will be able to: - Develop an understanding of what is required in a new venture - Create a plan to identify and approach your first customers - Build financial projections for the new venture - Understand how to raise equity capital for the new venture - Monitor the health and scalability of a new venture This course is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admission into these programs and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into a degree program at https://degrees.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/idegrees/.
You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.
2 videos7 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt1 plugin
In this module, we will discuss go-to-market strategies.
5 videos2 readings4 assignments1 peer review
In this module, we will discuss how to build financial projections for the startup company, in order to determine the potential size and scope of the business opportunity and the financing that may be required to successfully pursue that opportunity.
3 videos2 readings4 assignments
This module is focused on how startup companies raise capital from outside investors.
3 videos2 readings4 assignments1 peer review
This module is focused on growth – metrics that can be used to help manage it, and alternatives to consider if the company is not growing as it needs to.
4 videos4 readings4 assignments1 plugin
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
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This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree · 2 – 3 years
¹Successful application and enrollment are required. Eligibility requirements apply. Each institution determines the number of credits recognized by completing this content that may count towards degree requirements, considering any existing credits you may have. Click on a specific course for more information.
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Reviewed on Jan 30, 2022
Loved the course. Learned a lot from this course. Had interactions with the entrepreneur which helped me to lift up my ideas of starting a new start up.
Reviewed on Apr 19, 2018
i am more than honored to have studied this course, the material is very well done and the lecturer is the best that i seen so far.... love from uganda
Reviewed on Sep 29, 2019
This is a really fantastic class. There is some cross-over from other business classes but the way the topics are presented allows future entrepreneurs to do a run through with their product or idea.
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You will be eligible for a full refund until 2 weeks after your payment date. You cannot receive a refund once you’ve earned a Course Certificate, even if you complete the course within the 2-week refund period. View our full refund policy.
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When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.