Choose a business that fits your life, test your idea, plan for success, set up the money and legal basics, win first customers and find every avenue to grow.
See what being an entrepreneur really involves: wearing every hat, starting on the side, four shapes of business and their trade-offs, the honest survival numbers, the overnight-success myth, and a quick self-check before you start.
4 min6-question quizStudy guide
2
Choosing a Business That Fits Your Life
Choose a business that fits your life: start with your skills and interests, check money, time, risk, lifestyle, demand, and the rules, then score each idea on a simple worksheet and pick one to test first, with a backup.
4 min6-question quizStudy guide
3
Test Your Idea Before You Spend
Test your business idea before you spend: talk to real customers about the past, look for problems they already pay to fix, use free Census data, study the competition, sell the smallest real offer, ask for a commitment, and set a pass-fail line.
Is Becoming an Entrepreneur free on 850 University?
Yes β 7 of 7 lessons in this course are free with an 850ai account. Watch on YouTube anytime; create a free account to take quizzes and track progress.
How many lessons are in Becoming an Entrepreneur?
This course includes 7 short video lessons, each followed by a quiz when you learn inside the 850ai app.
Can I dispute errors on my credit report after this course?
850 University teaches the concepts; 850ai can analyze your credit report and generate dispute letters when you are ready. Start free at my850.ai/landing.
Put this course into action
Learn the strategy here, then let 850ai analyze your credit report and generate dispute letters tailored to your accounts.
Plan for success with simple numbers: a one-page lean plan, one-time and monthly costs, unit economics, how many clients you need, your cash runway, dated milestones, and the free SBA resource partners who can help.
4 min6-question quizStudy guide
5
Money and Legal Basics
Learn the money and legal basics of starting a business: why all business income counts even without a Form 1099-K, choosing a structure, getting a free EIN, DBA and license checks, a separate business bank account, simple books and record keeping, self-employment tax, estimated tax due dates, and basic business insurance.
4 min6-question quizStudy guide
6
Getting Your First Customers
Learn how to find your first customers without an ad budget: start with your warm network, go local, partner for referrals, be easy to find, use marketplaces and content wisely, follow the CAN-SPAM and FTC review rules, start ads once you know your numbers, and track what works.
4 min6-question quizStudy guide
7
Creativity and Every Avenue to Grow
Learn the main avenues to grow a business once your own hours are full: selling direct, online, wholesale and business to business, government work, licensing, franchising, and content and community. Plus why creativity is a habit, and how written systems, the right first help, and staying power let you grow past your own hours.
4 min6-question quizStudy guide
Becoming an Entrepreneur β Free Credit Course | 850 University