Digital Business

Entrepreneurship & Digital Business

Learn to start, manage, and grow a digital business with modern tools and strategies.

Level: Beginner–Intermediate Beginner: 4 weeks • Intermediate: 8 weeks Contact for pricing

Prerequisites

No prior experience required — open to beginners.

Certificate

Awarded by Rescue Academy on successful completion of the program's assessments and final project.

Learn Online — Live Classes

Register, receive your schedule, and join live instructor-led Entrepreneurship & Digital Business classes on Zoom. Assignments, instructor feedback, and a certificate on completion.

Learn In Person

Attend Entrepreneurship & Digital Business classes in person in Juba with hands-on labs, instructor mentorship, and a certificate on completion.

What You'll Learn

Problem-first ideas and cheap idea testing
Business Model Canvas, digital business models and branding
Records, one-page plans and goals
Mobile orders, payments and customer service
Market research and pricing
Cash flow, profit and funding
Growth, formalisation, hiring and pitching

Program Objectives

Start businesses from real customer problems and evidence
Design business models, brands and simple plans
Run orders, payments and records reliably
Price profitably and manage cash flow
Plan growth, funding and teams and pitch with confidence

Who It's For

Aspiring and new entrepreneurs
Owners of small and informal businesses
Youth and women's enterprise programme participants

Where You'll Use It

Retail, food, services and trades
Online and mobile-based businesses
Enterprise and livelihoods programmes

Curriculum

Instructor-led, practical training. Each level is a block of 4, 8 or 12 weeks; every module ends with a practical activity and an assessment, and every level with a project.

Beginner

4 weeks · 52 guided hours · 5 modules Free taster lessons available Level overview

Module 1: Business Startup Fundamentals 10 h

Find a problem worth solving, test the idea cheaply and estimate what it costs to start. 3 lessons

Module 2: Business Models and Branding 11 h

Describe how the business creates and earns value, and give it a simple, trustworthy identity. 3 lessons

Module 3: Customers and Simple Planning 10 h

Keep customer and sales records and write a one-page plan with clear goals. 3 lessons

Module 4: Mobile and Online Business Operations 11 h

Take orders, payments and deliveries smoothly using a phone. 3 lessons

Module 5: Digital Business Tools 10 h

Set up WhatsApp Business and other low-cost tools, and complete the level project. 3 lessons

Level project: Tested Business Idea and One-Page Plan

Intermediate

8 weeks · 90 guided hours · 6 modules Level overview

Module 1: Market Research 15 h

Understand customers, competitors and market size to find real opportunities. 3 lessons

Module 2: Pricing Strategy 16 h

Set prices that cover costs, reflect value and fit the market. 3 lessons

Module 3: Business Finances for Entrepreneurs 16 h

Keep finances separate, manage cash flow and reinvest profit wisely. 3 lessons

Module 4: Growing a Digital Business 13 h

Grow sales and operations on a limited budget. 3 lessons

Module 5: Formalisation, Funding and Teams 13 h

Prepare to register, raise funds and hire the first employees. 3 lessons

Module 6: Pitching and Growth Planning 17 h

Bring the level together in a growth plan and a confident pitch. 3 lessons

Level project: Business Growth Plan and Pitch

Final practical project

Business Growth Plan and Pitch

A growth plan for a real or case business with market research, pricing, a six-month cash flow forecast, funding and hiring plans and risks, pitched to a panel.

Deliverables

Market and competitor research
Pricing calculation and policy
Cash flow forecast and funding plan
Growth plan and pitch

Assessed on

Research is evidence-based
Prices cover costs and fit the market
The forecast is realistic
The pitch is clear and honest

Worked Examples

A selection of the visual, practical examples used in this program's lessons — each teaches a different skill.

Free Course: Entrepreneurship Starter

A free introduction to starting a small business: validating an idea, building a simple brand, a one-page business plan, mobile-first operations and everyday digital tools. Free, self-study, about 5 hours — no certificate. The full program above is taught live by an instructor, with practical assignments, assessments and a certificate.

Open the free course

Tools & Technologies

Primary Tools

WhatsApp Business — Customer communication, catalogue, quick replies and labels Practice: Professional mobile selling and service
Google Workspace — Cloud records, forms and documents Practice: Organised, accessible business records
Canva — Brand assets and marketing posts Practice: Consistent, professional visuals

Supporting Tools

Shopify (or similar) — Online store when sales justify it Practice: Online selling, payments and stock
Wave Accounting (or similar free tool) — Simple bookkeeping Practice: Tracking income and expenses

Professional / Industry Tools

Business Model Canvas — Designing and testing the business model Practice: Strategic thinking on one page
Cash flow forecast spreadsheet — Planning cash and funding Practice: Avoiding cash shortages

Career Opportunities

Freelancer or remote worker
Small business owner or e-commerce operator
Project/administrative support role at an NGO or company

Practical Projects

Develop and present a complete digital business launch plan for a real or simulated business
Set up a working WhatsApp Business profile and basic bookkeeping system for a real idea
Set up a simple income/expense tracker (spreadsheet or free tool) for a real or simulated business and use it to answer: is this business actually profitable this month?

Problem-Solving Focus

Problem: A new business owner has an idea they're excited about but hasn't checked whether real customers actually have the problem it solves

Approach: Validate the idea first — talk to potential customers and estimate real costs — before spending money building or stocking anything.

Problem: A business owner mixes personal and business money in the same pocket, making it impossible to tell if the business is actually profitable

Approach: Separate business and personal finances from day one, even informally, and track income and expenses consistently with a spreadsheet or a free tool like Wave.

Problem: Orders and customer messages come in through WhatsApp, but nothing is written down, so repeat customers and stock levels are hard to track

Approach: Use WhatsApp Business's catalog and quick-reply features alongside a simple written record, instead of relying on memory as order volume grows.

Problem: A business wants to grow beyond word-of-mouth and WhatsApp orders but isn't sure it's ready for a full online store

Approach: Judge readiness by real signals — consistent order volume, a genuine need for online payment — before investing time and money in a platform like Shopify; growth tools should follow real need, not hype.

Ready to register for Entrepreneurship & Digital Business?