The Goldman Sachs Entrepreneurship Certificate Program is designed for women across Rwanda who are interested in either starting a business or expanding their start-up. The program will equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to launch or expand a successful enterprise in Rwanda. The first graduating class completed the six-month program in February. The second class is graduating in July.

The main objective of this course is to help entrepreneurs and owners/managers of small and medium businesses (SMEs) to rigorously think through the entrepreneurial process. It will help them to examine a full range of issues from opportunity recognition to analysis of their own business idea, to the key elements of an effective business plan.

The Class will be hands-on, using a combination of different materials and methods including entrepreneurship in action mini-case studies, examples/illustrations from Rwandan business environment, exercises/assignments, spread sheets, business quiz-Q&A, and business games that help participants think deeply about their venture before taking them through the process of writing a business plan. 

The Class will be divided into groups and each group will select a business on which they will write the business plan. Each member of the group is expected to actively participate in the writing of the business plan as this is how the learning takes place.

We will begin with general introduction to venturing and questions entrepreneurs must ask themselves before writing a business plan or launching out with a venture. We will then look at the elements of a typical business planning – why it is necessary, what investors and funding institutions look for and how it serves as a useful roadmap for entrepreneurs in achieving their dreams. This will set the context for an in-depth treatment of the various parts that makes up the business plan. Each group will make a presentation of their business plan.