Our Small Business Academy is a 16-month entrepreneurship certificate program that supports creative and social entrepreneurs in developing plans, improving operations, accessing capital, and strengthening leadership capabilities to build thriving, resilient businesses.
Through the Small Business Academy, you will gain the education, tools, and resources to:
Below are the courses included in the Small Business Academy.
Learn more about the courses you will take in our Small Business Academy.
Identify the resources needed to grow your business, write your business plan, and create a financial forecast.
Develop comprehensive pricing strategies that align with your business’ mission and vision and cultivate the mindset to communicate your social impact and value of your work.
Develop your brand’s identity by exploring its uniqueness and areas of differentiation and create a marketing strategy to promote your products and services.
Learn how to monitor your business performance and impact and apply this information to develop project plans and build systems that support business growth.
Improve your selling techniques and processes to increase sales and customer retention in alignment with your business’ mission and vision for social impact.
Learn to set up and update an accounting system to track the financial health of your business.
Evaluate funding alternatives, learn how to present to funders, and lead a funding process for your business.
Review the key components of a business’ financial forecast and refine your financial forecast for your business.
Learn how to develop and use a business dashboard to track your business progress.
Learn how to inspire and motivate others for continuous improvement, and cultivate a culture where all workers feel valued, respected, accepted, and encouraged to fully participate in your business.
Learn how to create a hiring plan, and recruit, hire, and retain workers in your business.
Learn how to assess your business’ social impact, communicate your impact story, and stay accountable to your social impact mission as you lead your business to the next level.
Average time commitment for our Small Business Academy course work is 15-20 hours / week dedicated to building your business.
Title |
Weekly Activity | Weekly Time Commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Background Materials |
|
12-week Courses: 1-2 hours / week 6-week Courses : 1-2 hours / week Total: 2-4 hours / week |
| Workshops |
|
12-week Courses: 3 hours / week 6-week Courses : 2 hours / week Total: 5 hours / week |
| Business Development Activities |
|
12-week Courses: 3-4 hours / week 6-week Courses : 3-4 hours / week Total: 6-8 hours / week |
| Peer Mentoring |
|
12-week Courses: 1 hour / week 6-week Courses: 1 hour / week Total: 2 hours / week |
| One-on-One Mentoring |
|
12-week Courses: 30 minutes / week 6-week Courses: N/A Total: 30 minutes / week |
Building a business is a process of continuous improvement. As business owners, you receive feedback from customers, employees, and partners on regular basis through informal conversations and more formal surveys and other tools. And, you use that feedback to refine your business strategy.
The courses in the Small Business Academy also provide you with regular feedback to develop and implement your business strategy and plans, improve your operations and financial management, apply for funding, and build a team. You will receive informal feedback from mentors and peers on your weekly business development activities. In addition, you will receive more formal feedback through progress reports designed to provide you with documented feedback on your business and personal development and next steps for your business at regular intervals throughout each course
In order to complete the Small Business Academy and receive a Certificate of Completion, you must meet the following requirements:
A Certificate of Completion will be issued to each entrepreneur who has successfully completed the program within thirty (30) days of the end of the program.
We select up to 8 businesses per location to participate in our Small Business Academy in each enrollment period.
To be considered for the Small Business Academy, you must apply online. After each application deadline, our local selection teams will review all applications for the Small Business Academy and select the top applicants for interviews.
Based on interviews, our local selection teams will select up to 8 businesses per location to participate in the Small Business Academy. We will notify all applicants of our selection decisions at least one week prior to the start date of each enrollment period.
Our Small Business Academy is offered during the following times.
| Enrollment Period | Program Dates | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Winter 2024 | February 2024 - May 2025 | December 8, 2023 |
| Spring / Summer 2024 | June 2024 - August 2025 | April 19, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | September 2024 - December 2025 | August 2, 2024 |
| Enrollment Period | Program Dates | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Winter 2024 | February 2024 - May 2025 | December 8, 2023 |
| Spring / Summer 2024 | June 2024 - August 2025 | April 19, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | September 2024 - December 2025 | August 2, 2024 |
| Enrollment Period | Program Dates | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Winter 2022 | February 2022 - May 2023 | December 10, 2021 |
| Spring / Summer 2023 | June 2023 - October 2024 | April 14, 2023 |
| Winter 2024 | February 2024 - May 2025 | December 8, 2023 |
| Fall 2024 | September 2024 - December 2025 | August 2, 2024 |
The cost of the Small Business Academy is $20,050 which consists of a one-time $50 non-refundable registration fee and program fees of $20,000.
Given the current economic circumstances, we are providing entrepreneurs with a subsidized cost on the program fee, which will be determined based on household income, as well as a payment plan over the 16-month enrollment period. Below are the monthly program fees based on household income levels.
| < $35,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | $35,000 – $50,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | $50,000 – $100,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | > $100,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Program Fee | $25.00 / month | $50.00 / month | $200.00 / month | $400.00 / month |
Below are the total program fees for Small Business Academy over the 16-month enrollment period based on household income levels.
| < $35,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | $35,000 – $50,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | $50,000 – $100,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | > $100,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration Fee | $50.00 | $50.00 | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Program Fees | $400.00 | $800.00 | $3,200.00 | $6,400.00 |
| Total Fees | $450.00 | $850.00 | $3,250.00 | $6,450.00 |
In addition as a business owner, you will need to invest in the basic costs of growing your business. You should be prepared to pay these basic costs of doing business on your own. These costs are estimated at $100-$200 per month for subscriptions to maintain your website, QuickBooks accounting system, file management system, office technology, and phone / video conferencing.
We are committed to supporting the local economies where we run our programs. As such, you must be a resident in a metropolitan area where we have a location, either Boston, Chicago, or Oakland / East Bay metropolitan areas.
The full value of our Small Business Academy is $20,000. Given the current economic situation, we are subsidizing the majority of the cost of the Small Business Academy for all entrepreneurs of color. By completing the Small Business Academy, you will have the knowledge, tools, and network necessary to grow your creative or social enterprise.
We encourage those who are passionate about creating sustainable impact in their community to apply. Some of the entrepreneurs we have worked with in the past include, but are not limited to, those in arts and culture, health and wellness, food and beverage, retail and eCommerce, manufacturing, and services industries.
We are looking for entrepreneurs who believe in advancing principles, processes, and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy. This includes business concepts that provide for cultural expression, create good jobs, advance worker ownership and democracy, utilize sustainable production methods, shift to zero waste, among other practices.
As a Small Business Academy graduate, you may be eligible to apply for and receive funding and ongoing support for your business through our partnerships with mission-aligned funders, RUNWAY and The REAL People’s Fund. Our partnerships with RUNWAY and The REAL People’s Fund provide friendly, restorative capital and continued business support and community to grow your business in alignment with your values.
All Uptima entrepreneurs who complete a certain level of our programs and are in good standing on their program fees are eligible to become member-owners of Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative. Entrepreneurs who are interested in becoming member-owners will need to go through the membership process.
Becoming a member of Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative means you become a part of a cooperative community that invests in each other, shares in our profits, and has a say in how we are run.
