Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is a hands-on, project-based course where students learn how entrepreneurs identify opportunities, understand customers, develop products, make financial decisions, market ideas, and build sustainable businesses. Rather than simply studying entrepreneurship, students will apply these concepts to real-world business challenges throughout the semester.

Students will move through the entrepreneurial process from opportunity discovery and market validation to product development, launch, marketing, operations, growth, and pitching. They will conduct customer and market research, analyze real data, develop products based on customer feedback, evaluate pricing and profitability, explore e-commerce, create marketing strategies, and measure actual business performance.

A major application of the course will be the Cru Clubhouse Launch Lab, where students will apply what they are learning to a real WCS-branded merchandise business. Students will research the WCS market, help develop merchandise, work with an existing vendor to launch and evaluate an online store, analyze sales and customer feedback, and investigate opportunities for future growth.

Throughout the course, students will develop skills in critical thinking, creativity, communication, leadership, financial literacy, data analysis, problem-solving, and professional decision-making. The semester culminates in students using the evidence they have collected to develop a comprehensive business plan and pitch their recommendations for the business's future.

Phase 1 ~ DISCOVER: Find the opportunity

Students begin by learning how entrepreneurs identify problems, needs, and opportunities. They explore potential customers, consider how businesses create value, and learn to separate assumptions from evidence. Milestone: Identify and clearly define a promising business opportunity.

Phase 2 ~ Validate: Research the market

Students investigate whether an opportunity actually has market potential. They identify target customers, conduct primary and secondary research, develop surveys, and analyze customer data to test their assumptions. Milestone: Complete a market research report supported by real customer evidence.

Phase 3 ~ develop: create the product

Students turn market research into product decisions. They develop and evaluate product concepts while considering customer preferences, costs, pricing, margins, and profitability. Milestone: Present a launch-ready product collection supported by market and financial data.

Phase 4 ~ launch: build the online business

Students learn how an idea becomes an operating e-commerce business. They explore vendors, fulfillment, shipping, product listings, pricing, customer experience, and the financial systems behind online sales. Milestone: Successfully launch the Cru Clubhouse online store.

Phase 5 ~ market: reach the customer

Students develop strategies for connecting products with the right customers. They apply branding, promotion, target marketing, campaign planning, and marketing metrics while working within WCS marketing guidelines. Milestone: Develop and execute a measurable marketing campaign.

Phase 6 ~ Operate: Measure the business

Students experience what happens after a business opens. Using actual sales, expenses, customer feedback, and product performance, they evaluate profitability, customer service, and overall business performance. Milestone: Complete a business performance review using real operating data.

Phase 7 ~ Grow: Evaluate expansion

Students investigate whether and how the business should grow. They evaluate sales channels, merchandise displays, in-house production, equipment, physical retail possibilities, costs, capacity, and return on investment. Milestone: Make an evidence-based recommendation for the next stage of Cru Clubhouse.

Phase 8 ~ PITCH: Recommend What’s Next

Students bring together everything they have learned throughout the semester. Using their research, financial results, customer behavior, and operating experience, they develop a professional business plan and defend their recommendations. Milestone: Present the final Cru Clubhouse business plan and pitch.

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