GPS (Growth & Performance Skills) for entrepreneurs

In today's world, the use of digital technologies, the globalisation of markets and demographic changes create opportunities and new challenges for entrepreneurs. Decisions that affect their businesses need to be made on a daily basis, and for that they need to have technical knowledge and also the right personal skills to manage stress, emotions and reactions to different situations. To accompany entrepreneurs at that point, Youth Business International created the GPS Training.

What is the GPS Training?

It is a free online training aimed at promoting and improving entrepreneurial soft skills. People are the ones who manage and drive the growth of their businesses, which is why it is so important to improve your soft skills to achieve your business goals. In this program we will share tools that you can apply to better adapt to changes and stay positive in times of crisis, such as the one we are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What will you gain from the programme?

You will achieve focus to manage your business and work towards your goals. 

• You will receive support from entrepreneurs from different countries, with whom you can share your challenges and ambitions.
• You will learn practical tools that will help you negotiate with suppliers and customers, innovate in your business and move with greater agility.
• You will gain confidence and peace of mind by knowing yourself better and enhancing your skills 

What soft skills will we work on?

The training is comprised of 7 modules and 4 live sessions over the course of 4 weeks.

You will learn about:

• VUCA skills: needed to navigate the world we are all living in - Volatile (more unstable), Uncertain (more difficult to predict), Complex (less simple), and Ambiguous (less clear).  
• Grit: a combination of passion and perseverance to achieve your goals.  
• Agility: thinking and acting fast, changing direction when needed. 
• Ideation and Opportunity Management: finding innovative solutions and creating the right opportunities for you in the market 
• Decision making: understanding the process and nuances of making good decisions. 
• Negotiation & Persuasion: the skills you need to achieve good outcomes when negotiating with other people. 
• Action focus: proactivity needed to act fast and plan for the future.

We will also go through mindfulness exercises, so that you can add this practice to your daily routine to clear your mind and keep negative thoughts away. 

If you want to participate, continue to read the information below where we tell you more about the requirements and sign up process.

How to access the content of the modules?

Each participant follows the content at their own pace, since they will be available 24 hours a day on a digital platform. The modules will be made available every Tuesday and Friday, and include different sources of relevant content (e.g. websites, video, texts, etc.), self-assessment tools, practical activities and exercises, individual reflection, and assignments.  

You will be able to interact with other entrepreneurs through the online platform (Google Classroom), supporting each other during and after the training. 

The training also includes 4 live online sessions (1:30 hour long), in which you will have the opportunity to ask questions related to the content, share your experience and interact with the facilitators and other entrepreneurs.

For whom is the programme?

English-speaking entrepreneurs who need help and tools to cope with the current crisis and the challenges involved in leading a business.

What do the former participants say about the programme?

“The contents were simple to understand and I managed to connect what I learned with my own experience, to see it from a different perspective. I was able to relate to each skill that we worked on and the exercises were also very useful."
 
“The training materials were really comprehensive and relevant at this challenging time for businesses around the world. The GPS Training also gave us the opportunity to find friends abroad and help each other."

“It was very good for us to discuss real problems that are happening in the world. Businesses are under a lot of pressure to respond to these changes. The training was a great solution for my business."

Requirements

We have a limited number of places for the training, so before you register, please make sure you meet all the following requirements: 

• Having a native or intermediate level of English  
• Having access to the internet   
• Being able to complete all 7 modules and join the 4 live sessions (according to the schedule below), during the 4 weeks of the training. 

Timeline

Registration from 18th April to 2nd May

Training from 3rd to 27th May

Live sessions (1:30 hour long) on the following days:

• Tuesday, 3rd May – 1 pm (BST)
• Tuesday, 10th May – 1 pm (BST)
• Tuesday, 17th May – 1 pm (BST)
• Friday, 27th May – 1 pm (BST)

How to register

Sign up for the training here.

After submitting your registration form, YBI will contact you via e-mail within a few days to confirm your participation and share the instructions for joining the live sessions and to access the training on Google Classroom. 

Contact

If you have any queries, please contact Carol Appel, Head of Training at YBI, via e-mail (carol.appel@youthbusiness.org).