Learn what it takes to get funded.

20 lessons, a final pitch, and 19 short videos from SCORE, SBDC, and EOS Worldwide. Free business centers can help along the way.

Lessons are education only. They are not a loan offer, an eligibility check, or an approval.

The three stages

Build It

For: Idea / Pre-revenue / Startup. Get from idea to a real, registered, bankable business. Clarify your vision, set up the legal and financial foundation, and start building the credit story lenders look for.

  1. Entrepreneur in the Making, 45 min
  2. Business Formation & Legal Structure, 50 min
  3. Business Banking & Credit Separation, 35 min
  4. Record Keeping & Bookkeeping Basics, 55 min
  5. The Credit Story — What Lenders Look For, 40 min
  6. Writing a Fundable Business Plan, 75 min

Bank It

For: Operating business, under ~3 years. Master your numbers. Understand credit and debt. Learn the SBA programs in plain language.

  1. Know Your Numbers I — The Three Statements, 60 min
  2. The 7 Cs of Cashflow Management, 70 min
  3. Credit & Debt — Beauty & the Beast, 55 min
  4. Building a Realistic Budget, 45 min
  5. Collateral 101, 40 min
  6. SBA 7(a) & 504 in Plain Language, 50 min
  7. Working Capital & Alternative Capital, 45 min

Own It

For: Established, capital-ready business. Scale on a system, not on hustle. Build a team, own your space, and plan succession or an exit.

  1. Running on EOS — Traction & Accountability, 65 min
  2. Commercial Real Estate — Buy vs. Lease, 60 min
  3. Building a Bankable Management Team, 45 min
  4. Business Acquisition & Succession, 55 min
  5. Equipment Financing & Expansion, 40 min
  6. Customer Service and Repeat Sales, 40 min
  7. Exit Strategy & Wealth Transfer, 50 min

The Pitch

Pitch Your Business. Put it all together. Build one short pitch you can shape for whoever you are asking, such as an investor, a lender, a buyer, or a partner, and practice it out loud.