Turn your passion into profit

12-weeks / 6 Credits

As entrepreneurs, we are always learning and at the Community Business Academy, you can expect to learn and share a lot. The success of our program relies on your talents and contributions. 

In this course, you will be building strong fundamentals business skills like budgeting, marketing, bookkeeping, and financing. 

Our experiential methodology embeds direct curriculum application so you are able to work on your business as you learn!

How It Works

Your learning experience.

  • 1. Learn

    Watch Video Lessons Before Your Live Zoom Sessions: These short video lessons are designed to introduce topics and get you thinking about your own business and questions you have. You can ask questions or share your thoughts in on-lesson discussions, take self-assessment quizzes and come back to these videos to review concepts whenever you'd like!

  • 2. Engage

    Participate in the Live Zoom Session: This is where the concepts you learned in the video lessons come alive. You'll discuss concepts, practice using these concepts through engaging exercises and connect what you learned to your own businesses. This is the community of the Community Business Academy!

  • 3. Apply

    Complete Homework: Each week for nine weeks you will have homework. This homework is designed to be your opportunity to apply what you learned to your own business. As entrepreneurs we spend a lot of time running our businesses. This is the time fo you to think and plan for your business. Take the time and stay on top of your homework! We are here to support you through it all!

Meet Our Instructors

Experts that care.

Class Monitor Joe Masterson

A successful entrepreneur, Joe Masterson sold his Employee Benefits Consulting business in 2012. This freedom has allowed Joe to combine his love of teaching with his passion for building communities by supporting new micro-businesses and helping existing businesses survive in difficult economic times. His newest venture dedicated to this passion is called Nichols Advisory (NA). NA brings the resources together to support businesses regardless of their ability to initially pay for service. It is founded on the belief that small businesses are the economic backbone of our country and need specialized support to help pride for their employees and their families. Before entering the Insurance business Joe’s first job was as a high school teacher and coach. He is also the former chair of the Education and Training Committee for a United Benefit Advisors, a national insurance consulting cooperative. Joe has been involved with many other start-ups outside of his Consulting practice. Most recently Joe lead a team that started a new non-profit initiative in Union County to house, counsel, and support youth that age-out of the foster care system. Joe founded a regional Junior Olympic Volleyball Club that has won several regional titles. Joe currently lives in Watchung, NJ with his wife, Lydia. They raised two daughters who are both educators and coaches.

Course curriculum

    1. Navigate our Learning System

    2. Maximize the Course: Your Business and Time

    3. Meet Your Online Instructor

    4. Communicate with Your Instructors

    5. Get Help

    6. Understand Our Process

    7. LEARN: Complete and Continue

    8. LEARN: Check Your Understanding

    9. ENGAGE: On-Lesson Discussion

    10. ENGAGE: Get Ready to Zoom

    11. ENGAGE: Zoom Invitations

    12. APPLY: Homework Tips

    13. APPLY: Homework Upload Practice

    14. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. How to use this chapter

    2. Computer Basics

    3. Zoom Access

    4. Digital Skills Connecting to Wifi

    5. Digital Skills Online Learning and Research

    6. Digital Skills Staying Safe Online

    7. Get Financial Coaching

    8. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome to the Community Business Academy!

    2. THINGS TO KNOW: The Design of the Class

    3. DISCUSSION: Business is all about relationships!

    4. REVIEW: Student Handbook (Download)

    5. YOUR COMMITMENT: Student Handbook

    6. FILL-IN: Pre-Survey

    7. DISCUSSION: Getting To Know You

    8. FILL-IN: Getting To Know Your Business

    9. NEW CONCEPT: You – The Entrepreneur

    10. ASSESSMENT: Self-Evaluation

    11. NEW CONCEPT: The Business Idea

    12. DISCUSSION: What Makes a Good Product or Service?

    13. DEFINITION: Business Plan Outline

    14. The Business/Executive Summary Contest

    15. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding

    16. DISCUSSION: How are you doing?

    17. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    18. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    19. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    20. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    21. HOMEWORK 1: Introduction

    22. HOMEWORK 1: EXAMPLE

    23. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    24. CHECK-IN: How are you doing?

    25. UP NEXT: Looking ahead to Week 2

    26. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome back!

    2. THE GAME: Purpose

    3. GAME CONTEXT: Location

    4. GAME CONTEXT: Target Customer

    5. GAME CONTEXT: Your Role

    6. TOOLS REVIEW: Business Cycle Calendar

    7. TOOLS REVIEW: Daily Record Keeping Journal

    8. TOOLS REVIEW: Weekly Sales Journal

    9. TOOLS REVIEW: Weekly Expense Journal

    10. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    11. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    12. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    13. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    14. HOMEWORK 2: Business Simulation I

    15. HOMEWORK 2: EXAMPLE

    16. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    17. CHECK-IN: How did it go?

    18. UP NEXT: Looking Ahead to Week 3

    19. CHECK-IN: How are you doing?

    20. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome Back

    2. Managing Your Personal Expenses and Income

    3. Personal Budget

    4. NEW CONCEPT: Personal Expense Categories

    5. DEFINITION: Personal Income

    6. APPLYING YOUR LEARNING: Personal Income and Expenses

    7. THINGS TO KNOW: Savings

    8. THINGS TO KNOW: Understanding Your Credit

    9. DEFINITION: Interest

    10. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding

    11. THINGS TO KNOW: Why is Having Good Credit Important?

    12. THINGS TO KNOW: How to Correct Errors in a Credit Report

    13. THINGS TO KNOW: Negative Information in your Credit Report

    14. RESOURCE: Example Credit Report

    15. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    16. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    17. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    18. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    19. HOMEWORK 3: Monthly Personal Income and Expense Budget

    20. HOMEWORK 3: EXAMPLE

    21. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    22. CHECK-IN: How did it go?

    23. CHECK-IN: How is your learning?

    24. UP NEXT: Looking Ahead to Week 4

    25. REMINDER: Get Financial Coaching

    26. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

    1. Welcome to Week 4

    2. THINGS TO KNOW: Basic Business Structure

    3. DEFINITION: Variable Expenses

    4. NEW CONCEPT: Understanding Your Competitors

    5. DISCUSSION: Your Competitors

    6. THINGS TO KNOW: The Importance of Your Competition

    7. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding (Competition)

    8. NEW CONCEPT: Your Target Market

    9. DISCUSSION: Defining Your Target Market

    10. THINGS TO KNOW: Mistakes to Avoid

    11. FILL-IN: Check Your Understanding (Target Market)

    12. NEXT STEPS: Our LIVE class is coming up!

    13. BEFORE WE START: Get ready to Zoom

    14. WELCOME: Our LIVE Zoom class

    15. BEFORE WE START: What to bring

    16. HOMEWORK 4: Competition and Target Marketing

    17. HOMEWORK 4: EXAMPLE

    18. CHECK-IN: How did it go?

    19. STUDY HALL: Extra support for you

    20. CHECK-IN: How are you doing?

    21. UP NEXT: Looking Ahead to Week 5

    22. REMEMBER: Graduation Requirements

About this course

  • Free
  • 290 lessons
  • 2.5 hours of video content

FAQ

  • What's the cost?

    Tuition for The Community Business Academy is valued at $3,000 per student. Thanks to our generous supporters and donors, tuition is waived for every student accepted into the program. All participants, however, must pay a small materials and registration fee towards the course. Based on your household income, your fees are calculated on a sliding scale ranging from $150 to $375. Additional financial aid is available for those who qualify.

  • Who are the instructors?

    Our instructors all actively own or run small businesses, and have been through a one-year intensive training program geared towards maximizing their experience as entrepreneurs in teaching small business concepts.

  • How do I apply?

    Introduce yourself by filling out our program inquiry form here and we will walk you through next steps.