CO.STARTERS@AUT programme details

During CO.STARTERS@AUT you develop and fine-tune your ideas, critically examine every part of your business idea and determine the next steps, all through real-time feedback from people in the community.

Cost

The programme cost includes course materials, weekly sessions with a facilitator and guest speakers, and access to community events, networking opportunities and small business resources.

• Cost: $699 (incl GST)
• Deposit: $50 (applies toward the course fee and is non-refundable)

AUT students and alumni

CO.STARTERS is free for students subject to getting a fully-paid scholarship. (There is a material / admin cost of $200 if you do not complete the programme.)

If you are AUT alumni, you can apply for a scholarship discount ($499 instead of $699). Contact us for details.

Businesses

Trading businesses may be eligible for a capability voucher towards CO.STARTERS under the NZTE training scheme.

AUT staff

AUT staff may be able to make it part of your professional development allowance. Contact us for details.

When and where

Each cohort will meet one evening a week for 9 weeks. Each weekly session is 3 hours.

Tentative cohort starting dates are:

• Mid October (depending on demand)
• Mid January

Venue

AUT City Campus
55 Wellesley St
Auckland 1010

Programme topics

• Week 1: Knowing yourself - assumptions, working styles, team building, obstacles
• Week 2: Knowing your customer - problem, solution, benefit, competition, advantage, customer
• Week 3: Getting the relationship right - marketing and message; getting, keeping and growing customers
• Week 4: Building the model to scale - starting small, distribution, revenue, typical sale, price
• Week 5: Business structures and legal considerations - registering a business, licenses and permits, IP, hiring
• Week 6: Discovering your bottom line – startup and ongoing needs, fixed and variable costs, break-event point
• Week 7: Accounting for growth  - break-even point, sales projections, cash flow, accounting
• Week 8: Planning for the future - raising capital, growth plans, goal setting, pitch prep
• Week 9: Showcase/celebration night - sharing your story and pitching

CO.STARTERS Canvas

The CO.STARTERS Canvas helps you understand, test and refine your business ideas.