• University of Reading
  • Henley Business School
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Developing New Business Ideas for Commercial Success

Turn your idea into a viable business as you develop entrepreneurial skills and a plan to monetise your Intellectual Property.

Man and a woman in an elevator looking at a laptop

Developing New Business Ideas for Commercial Success

  • 2 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more

Set yourself up for commercial success with the University of Reading

Do you have a great business idea but you’re not sure how to transform it into a thriving product or service? This two-week online course from the University of Reading will help you take your vision to the next level.

Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, an innovator, or a business professional looking to commercialise a new project, you’ll gain the tools, strategies, and confidence you need to succeed.

By the end, you’ll have a personalised action plan to help turn your concept into reality.

Understand all elements of business development

You’ll start with a step-by-step guide to commercialising an idea. This includes learning how to protect your Intellectual Property (IP), a critical element in securing your rights and safeguarding the value of your innovation.

Then, you’ll learn how to develop a value proposition by identifying your audience, understanding their needs, and researching your competition. These insights will help you position your product or service effectively, creating a strong foundation for success.

Develop your entrepreneurial skills

Next, you’ll dive into the process of fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll learn practical methods to refine your idea, overcome challenges, and assess what makes it commercially viable.

These skills are essential for building the confidence to navigate the complexities of business development.

Identify the sales strategy that aligns with your idea

Crafting a persuasive pitch is another key focus. You’ll learn how to align your strategy with your goals and audience, and you’ll develop a compelling elevator pitch that communicates the value of your idea effectively.

By the end of the course, you’ll develop a practical strategy for success, backed by insights from industry experts.

Skip to 0 minutes and 0 seconds You’ve been thinking about a new idea for a while You know it could be a game changer for your company and it could get you a promotion in the process Or you could start a new business venture with it But you don’t know which way to go or how to develop the idea into a commercial proposal You find yourself in an elevator with the person who could help get your idea off the ground and you realize it’s your chance to pitch it Go you’ve got 30 seconds the clock’s ticking. What are you going to say? How do you explain the idea and what evidence do you have that it will work?

Skip to 0 minutes and 35 seconds What do you need to include how will you convince them? It’ll be a commercial success. What research do you need to have done? What steps do you need to take to protect your idea? Come on. Come on. Come on. It’s got to be to the point It’s got to be good. Hurry up. You’re nearly there too late It’s hard, isn’t it? That’s what I’m here to tell you Welcome to developing new business ideas for commercial success

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Protecting your rights

    • Graphic showing two people holding light bulbs representing ideas. Text: Activity 1

      Welcome to the course

      Consider what 'commercial success' means to you and discover how this course will help you achieve it. Start by exploring Intellectual Property and why it's important.

    • Graphic showing two people holding light bulbs representing ideas. Text: Activity 2

      Getting started with an idea

      Apply your understanding of different types of IP to select the type that best suits your idea before using innovation capture methods to develop your thinking further.

    • Graphic showing two people holding light bulbs representing ideas. Text: Activity 3

      Developing your idea

      Discover how to go about researching the audience for your idea and using that knowledge to create an effective value proposition.

    • Graphic showing two people holding light bulbs representing ideas. Text: Activity 4

      Selecting the IP approach that best suits your idea

      Hear from a legal expert about how important selecting the correct IP approach is in protecting your idea, and review the business plan you've been developing in your learning journal.

  • Week 2

    Exploiting your rights

    • Graphic showing two people exchanging a light bulb (idea) for money. Text: Activity 1

      Selling your rights

      Discover how intellectual property rights can be licensed and subdivided into subsidiary rights and be inspired by a case study on Jamal Edwards MBE, an independent individual creator.

    • Graphic showing two people exchanging a light bulb (idea) for money. Text: Activity 2

      Examples to learn from

      Learn from these examples of exploiting rights commercially, via the Public Domain and through open access, to ensure your strategy delivers success as you define it.

    • Graphic showing two people exchanging a light bulb (idea) for money. Text: Activity 3

      Putting it into practice

      On the basis of the way you've developed your new business idea throughout the course, decide which licensing strategy best suits your idea and create your own elevator pitch to persuade senior colleagues or investors.

    • Graphic showing two people exchanging a light bulb (idea) for money. Text: Activity 4

      Final steps

      Discover the various types of support available to you as you develop your new business idea into a commercial success and review the plans you've made in your learning journal before completing the course.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Apply your knowledge of the role of IP rights to generate and exploit commercial opportunities.
  • Improve your entrepreneurial skills and gain insights from industry experts.
  • Develop a persuasive pitch for your own business idea that will convince colleagues and investors to support it.
  • Create a personalised plan for commercialising your business idea as you work through the course.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for learners who are looking to expand their business development knowledge and understand how they can apply it in the workplace.

It would suit professionals working in established organisations in roles such as business development, strategy, and content creation as well as entrepreneurs starting from scratch.

Although designed for a wide range of professionals, it will be particularly beneficial for learners in the early stages of their careers or learners starting out as entrepreneurs.

Who will you learn with?

Marrisa Joseph

Marrisa is an Associate Professor and teaches across all levels, specialising in topics on Intellectual Property in the Creative Industries. Marrisa has worked in marketing and rights management.

Who developed the course?

University of Reading

University of Reading

The University of Reading has a reputation for excellence in teaching, research and enterprise.

Henley Business School

Henley Business School

Henley Business School is a triple accredited, world-renowned business school, part of the University of Reading.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$54/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 18 Feb 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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