Who are your customers? Do you envision old people putting the huge, cushy, air-conditioned seat you invented on their bikes? Or do you picture young people buying your bike-parts zombie sculptures? Whoever they are, get to know them!

The business world likes the term "target market" for these customers; you aim at them, and hit the mark. We prefer an attitude of working with customers to find out what they need and want. We like it because it works! There's a process that starts with your customers and ends with new solutions made to suit their needs. It's called "human-centered design."

Human-centered design takes inspiration from real people; it considers where they are, and what you have available. With workshops, conversations, interviews, etc., your customers help you design what you are going to make. Products and services designed this way connect more deeply with your customers.

Now, get out into the world. Look around at where you would expect to see people enjoying your product or service. Picture it happening.

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR:

Have students do the following:

1. Describe your expected customer

2. Describe where and how you see them using your product or service

3. Think of one question they might ask about it

It’s important to understand what networking is… and what it is not. It is about sharing information and contacts, getting the help you need, getting more done with less effort, building relationships, and helping yourself and other people to be more effective. It is not about selling anything (including yourself), getting a job, soliciting donations, securing funding for your project, or forming superficial relationships where people use each other.

It turns out that while asking for help is hard and can make us feel bad, giving help is actually invigorating and makes us happy.

Write down a favor you might ask of someone in your network. Pause. How do you feel? A little anxious? Maybe kinda bummed?

Now, imagine how you might offer to help one of your friends. Jot down three ideas you have for them. Pause. How do you feel? Energized?

Imagine a world where you work with all of your friends. Wouldn't that be fun?

This XP will help you gain the confidence needed to becoming better at networking by reimagining it as a fun and useful thing!

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR:

Have students make a social network map. This will help them visualize all of the friends they have (in all of the right places) and where they can try to make new friends to help them get where they want to go.

They can make their map look like anything, but an easy place to start is with yourself! Ask them to:

• Think of all of the different groups you interact with in your life (school, friends, sports, work, etc)
• Add any other groups you're interested in (for example, cooking, music, gaming)
• Working one-by-one, add all of the people you know in each group
• Then think, research, and add other groups and people who you may be able to meet to expand each circle

Look at all of your friends... Now get out there and build your network! Your social impact is waiting!

There is a saying that suggests "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

If someone asked you to explain what a mentor is, you would probably describe a picture of a young person getting advice from an older person. Right? What you may not know is there are many ways to receive and give mentorship!

Whether you're looking for personal or professional development, mentorship is a great way to form strong relationships that can build your support network.

How many times have you asked your friends for advice or guidance in your life? That's peer-to-peer mentorship!

Have you ever thought you could help someone a lot older than you? Mentoring "up" is an opportunity for a younger person to teach new skills to someone older often in exchange for the stories and experience!

Mentorship doesn't necessarily have to be an in-person relationship, either. According to this prominent mentor-author, you can receive some form of mentorship from blogs, podcasts, or even books!

So are you ready? Who can you connect with today?

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR:

Think about what you can DO instead of what you can GET from a mentor. People are the most important aspect of your network. Who can you connect with today?

• There's just one problem... how do you get the money to get started? The bad news is even if you have a million-dollar idea, that doesn't mean you'll get a million dollars right way. The good news is that the world is FULL of people who want to give money to good ideas! Check out this infographic for a breakdown of how to take your startup from idea to IPO. Did you notice how many different ways there are to get the money you need? Let's explore a few:
• Personal savings is surprisingly a very common way people rely on for starting their own business.
• Micro loans like this one let you borrow just enough money you need to get started
• Accelerator programs like the Central Florida Social Enterprise Accelerator provide the training, resources, and sometimes funding to give your young startup a leg up.

Research each type of funding, and think about the pros and cons of each option. What do you think would be the best for your idea? As you read, pay attention to other types of funding that are not on the list above (there are many). Then jump to the submission section to complete this XP.

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR:

To find success in your own business, you'll have to learn from the experience of others who have successfully started businesses before you. There are a lot of ways to earn this XP:

• Talk to someone you know personally who has started their own business. Record the conversation with a video or by writing and ask, "How did you find the funding you needed to start your business?"
• Visit your local accelerator like Starter Studio in Orlando to learn from local business owners
• Watch videos or interviews about famously successful entrepreneurs. Pay close attention for how they got started... Did they save their own money? Ask an investor? Or take out a loan?

In this XP, you’ll learn about prototyping and turning failure into fantastic!

A prototype:

• Enables you to test and refine your design. It all works in your head; when you physically create your product and put your idea in front of people, you'll encounter flaws in your thinking and see what needs to be done. That’s how it gets better.
• Lets you test various materials, colors, sizes, etc.
• Will help you describe your product more effectively. You’ll be able to easily explain all about your product or idea to your family, friends, potential customers, or investors.
• Helps you be taken more seriously. When you have a physical product or presentation of your idea, you will stand out. You'll be viewed as a professional with a purpose instead of a just a dreamer.

So, now that you know it's important to create a prototype, how exactly do you do it? There are no rules! Use whatever you have around you to build a model. Give yourself permission to experiment. If you fail, great! You're one step closer to success.

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR:

Ask students to do the following.

Make a drawing of your product or service idea. If you created a physical model, take a picture and upload it here.

Have fun, and don't worry about your artistic skills!

Your brand is what comes to mind when people think about your product, service or company. It's more than just the physical features, it's also how your product makes people feel.

By creating a brand that is both impactful and memorable, you can leave a lasting impression with your customers that will keep them coming back for more! In this XP, you'll learn what it takes to create a powerful brand.

1. Research your customers. By knowing who your company is focused on, you can make clearer decisions about what your brand should be like. (You may have already done this in the "What's it Going to Be" XP).
2. Think of it as a person. What type of person do you want your brand to be? How do they behave, or how do they make people feel? What qualities do you want associated with your company?
3. Create a mission statement. Make sure it's memorable, meaningful, brief and able to get your point across.
4. Create a logo and brand standards to be used on all of your materials.
5. Be consistent with your color scheme and the look and feel of your brand across all platforms. Consistency is key to a powerful brand.

FOR THE INSTRUCTOR:

Have students start on their business name and brand. Ask them to:

Choose your business's name and create a logo and a color scheme to represent you and your brand and upload them here!

You can use the resources below to learn more and help you get started.

• how to build a brand
• build a brand from scratch
• create a logo

1. Think about the biggest challenge facing our world today. Maybe it affects you personally, or maybe this issue just makes you feel sad when you think about that. We'll call that your "heartbreak" challenge.
2. What are the elements or situations that create that challenge? Is it lack of funding or education? Or a system or institution that does not work for everyone? Write down a few ideas.
3. If you can't think of any reasons what your "heartbreak" might be caused by, do a little research online. You may be inspired by other people's ideas on the subject!
4. Now write down as many ideas as you can that might help the situation. For example, if lack of funding is creating the problem, try to think of as many ways money could be raised for the issue. You don't to need to know how to make it happen, your ideas are valuable enough!

Additional Resources:

• social entrepreneur
• what is social entrepreneurship?
• TOMS social enterprise
• examples of heartbreak mapping
• what is the impact economy anyway?