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⇱ Taking the Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur | Coursera


Taking the Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur

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Taking the Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur

This course is part of Starting a Business Specialization

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

5 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level

Recommended experience

5 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • How to test a business idea with a minimum viable product before investing serious time or money.

  • How to build the systems, pricing, and client conversations that turn a side idea into a sustainable business.

  • How to position and market your brand so that ideal clients find you when they're ready to buy.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Recently updated!

May 2026

Assessments

15 assignments

Taught in English

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Starting a Business Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 8 modules in this course

In this course, you'll assess whether you're truly ready for entrepreneurship, shape a business idea around a problem people will pay to solve, and build the systems, pricing, and financial structure that keep your business running smoothly. You'll also gain confidence in the skills most employees never get to practice: networking genuinely, positioning a brand, handling client objections, and closing sales without pressure.

What makes this course unique is that it's grounded in the real-world experience of bestselling author and entrepreneur Sam Bennett, who has spent decades helping first-time founders avoid the most common and costly mistakes. You won't get theoretical frameworks or generic advice. You'll get practical strategies like the perfect customer lifecycle, the minimum viable product test, themed workweeks, and the confident close, all delivered in the warm, candid voice of someone who has genuinely been where you're standing now. Whether you're itching to leave the 40-hour week behind, pursuing a passion, or simply not ready to retire, this course gives you the tools, mindset, and momentum to take your next step with clarity.

Starting a business begins in your head long before it shows up on paper, and the mindset you bring shapes every decision that follows. In this module, you'll assess your readiness, face the fears holding you back, and clarify the deeper impact behind your work so you can step into entrepreneurship with confidence and self-awareness.

What's included

5 videos2 assignments

5 videosβ€’Total 15 minutes
  • Regaining Your Powerβ€’1 minute
  • Recognizing Your Readinessβ€’4 minutes
  • Identifying Your Reservationsβ€’3 minutes
  • Your Starting Pointβ€’4 minutes
  • Elevating Your Self-Awareness β€’3 minutes
2 assignmentsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Your Entrepreneurial Starting Lineβ€’10 minutes
  • Naming the Fears Beneath the Leapβ€’10 minutes

The strongest business ideas solve real problems for real people, and yours is probably closer than you think. In this module, you'll turn everyday pain points into a focused concept, tap into your zone of creative genius, and shape marketing approaches that help the right customers find you.

What's included

3 videos1 reading1 assignment

3 videosβ€’Total 9 minutes
  • Ideas Need to Solve Problemsβ€’3 minutes
  • Leaning into Strengths and Passionsβ€’3 minutes
  • Ensuring Marketabilityβ€’3 minutes
1 readingβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • The Problem-First Playbook for Entrepreneursβ€’20 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • From Problem to Pitchβ€’10 minutes

Traditional business plans can feel overwhelming and often delay the work that actually grows a business. In this module, you'll map the perfect customer lifecycle and test a minimum viable product so you can validate your idea with real buyers before investing serious time or money.

What's included

2 videos1 reading1 assignment

2 videosβ€’Total 8 minutes
  • Get It Off the Groundβ€’4 minutes
  • Staying Lean and Iteratingβ€’4 minutes
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • The Perfect Customer Lifecycle, Unpackedβ€’10 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Lean Starts and Smart Testsβ€’10 minutes

Turning an idea into a working business means setting up the systems, finances, and habits that keep it running smoothly. In this module, you'll build the operational foundation of your business, protect yourself financially, and price your offers with the confidence of someone who knows their worth.

What's included

6 videos3 assignments

6 videosβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Setting Up Business Systemsβ€’3 minutes
  • Building Your Company Websiteβ€’3 minutes
  • Creating Your Financial Structureβ€’3 minutes
  • Scheduling Your Workflowβ€’2 minutes
  • Getting Out of Your Own Way β€’3 minutes
  • Overcoming Your "Pricing Shyness"β€’3 minutes
3 assignmentsβ€’Total 50 minutes
  • Running the Business Behind the Businessβ€’10 minutes
  • Your One-Page Website, Written Out Loudβ€’25 minutes
  • Designing Your Entrepreneurial Weekβ€’15 minutes

Relationships are the quiet engine behind most successful businesses, and they don't happen by accident. In this module, you'll practice having real conversations online and in person so you can build a network of clients, collaborators, and champions who move your business forward.

What's included

3 videos2 assignments

3 videosβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Having Conversations on Social Mediaβ€’3 minutes
  • Leveraging In-Person Networkingβ€’3 minutes
  • Networking Do's and Don'tsβ€’3 minutes
2 assignmentsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Building Your Circleβ€’10 minutes
  • The Social Media Conversation Auditβ€’10 minutes

Customers buy when they're ready, not when you are, so staying visible and distinct is how you win when the moment comes. In this module, you'll differentiate your brand in ways customers care about, build visibility through consistent marketing, and target buyers based on where they are in their awareness journey.

What's included

3 videos1 reading2 assignments

3 videosβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Building a Competitive Positionβ€’3 minutes
  • Gaining Brand Visibilityβ€’3 minutes
  • Stages of Customer Awareness β€’3 minutes
1 readingβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Marketing as Education: Building Visibility That Pays Offβ€’10 minutes
2 assignmentsβ€’Total 20 minutes
  • Standing Out and Staying Seenβ€’10 minutes
  • Where Are Your Customers on the Awareness Ladder?β€’10 minutes

The difference between a good conversation and a closed sale often comes down to how well you listen and how calmly you respond. In this module, you'll use targeted questions to uncover client needs, handle objections without pressure, and close sales in a way that sets the stage for loyalty and referrals.

What's included

3 videos1 assignment

3 videosβ€’Total 9 minutes
  • Communicating Your Valueβ€’3 minutes
  • Overcoming Objectionsβ€’4 minutes
  • A Confident Closeβ€’2 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • The Art of the Client Conversationβ€’10 minutes

Great entrepreneurs never stop learning, and the small habits of growth are what separate thriving businesses from stalled ones. In this module, you'll build a learning routine, surround yourself with trusted advisors, and shape a bigger vision for your business that reflects what you truly value.

What's included

4 videos3 assignments

4 videosβ€’Total 10 minutes
  • Emphasize Continued Learningβ€’3 minutes
  • Business 101β€’3 minutes
  • Thinking Biggerβ€’3 minutes
  • Go Crush It!β€’1 minute
3 assignmentsβ€’Total 55 minutes
  • The Entrepreneur's Toolkitβ€’30 minutes
  • Your Monthly Learning Ritualβ€’15 minutes
  • Your First Week as an Entrepreneur-in-Motionβ€’10 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Madecraft
71 Coursesβ€’2,882 learners

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Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,