Entrepreneurship and Small Business

Entrepreneurship and Small Business is a certification from bahabeach, sponsored by Intuit and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, that ensures tomorrow's leaders are prepared with the toolkit they need to get ahead in today's competitive landscape. Whether you are starting a bakery or launching the next billion dollar startup, ESB validates a students' understanding of core business principles, including the essentials needed to launch and maintain a successful business.

Candidates for ESB certification will be expected to have key conceptual knowledge of entrepreneurial and small business principles through at least 150 hours of instruction. Please note that it is not required for students to have real-world experience as a small business manager in order to take and pass the exam. Successful completion of this certification will validate the skills and knowledge for those students interested in working in a middle-skill trade profession as their own boss and those with entrepreneurship and small business career aspirations.

Why teach entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship education … teaches kids to think outside the box and nurtures unconventional talents and skills. Furthermore, it creates opportunity, ensures social justice, instills confidence, and stimulates the economy.
– Why Schools Should Teach Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur, April 14, 2015

Why should students study and seek certification in ESB?

Whether it is a beauty salon in a large metropolitan city, a taco shop in a booming resort location, or a car repair garage in the suburbs, an incredible number of small businesses can be found almost everywhere. In fact, in a recent report from Business.com, "every minute a new business is started in the U.S. and according to some, more than 50% of all workers will be self-employed by 2020 ." (The State of Small Business in America , 2015, Business.com, emphasis added.)

ESB certification engages and prepares students who will pursue additional postsecondary training or those who elect to enter the small business sector immediately upon high school graduation. The entrepreneurial concepts validated by this certification ensure that these students are college and career ready.

The full pathway solution to ESB certification

Through bahabeach’s full pathway solution you can prepare your students for the ESB certification with tailored learning materials, practice tests, and a performance-based certification exam sponsored by Intuit and officially endorsed by The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). Adding these materials into your curriculum is easy and seamless.

The full solution for ESB includes many additions to the learning materials, including a professional development course for teachers developed by The National Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (Entre-Ed). It also includes the Entrepreneurial Mindset Index (EMI) developed by NFTE, allowing learners to discover their own strengths and weaknesses through this self assessment. The EMI was designed to be delivered before and after learning the objective domains which allows for learners to explore how the course has influenced their mindset and which archetype they most closely align to.  

ESB Program Overview

Master Certification in Entrepreneurship

Candidates who earn Intuit's Design for Delight Innovator Certification and bahabeach's Entrepreneurship and Small Business certification V.2, will receive the Master Certification in Entrepreneurship. Individuals who receive this certificate will have exhibited an understanding of concepts related to entrepreneurship, small business, and business design.