Turn Your Idea into Reality
Business Lab is an multi-week, hands-on program where you get to put ideas into action. It’s a place to test your thinking, get clear on your next steps, and build the confidence to move forward. Whether you’re launching a business, growing a nonprofit, or shaping a community project, you’ll walk away with a plan that feels doable and support that lasts beyond the classroom.
Goals of Business Lab
By the end of the program, you will:
1. Shape a grounded plan to turn your idea into an enterprise that can sustain itself and make an impact.
2. Practice sharing your work in ways that connect—whether you’re talking with customers, employees, funders, investors, or neighbors.
3. Get clear on the “why” behind what you’re building and the real value it offers to the people you serve.
Who is Business Lab for?
Business Lab isn’t for sitting back and daydreaming. It’s for doers, makers, and movers who are ready to put ideas into action. You’ll fit right in if:
- You’ve got a spark—whether it’s a business idea, a nonprofit vision, or a side hustle—and you’re serious about seeing it succeed.
- You’re ready to take action, push through obstacles, and keep moving forward.
- You don’t mind stretching yourself, trying new things, and sometimes being a little uncomfortable in the name of growth.
- You welcome fresh perspectives and are open to weaving feedback into your thinking and process.
- You want to be part of a community that encourages you, has your back, and stays connected long after the program wraps.
This is a place for people who want to make things happen, not just talk about it. If that’s you, Business Lab is your next step.
Program Structure
Each week builds on the last, giving you space to learn, test, and put ideas into action:
General Business Lab
The General Business Lab offers an overview of basic business skills for all entrepreneurs, including those who are service-based. The course includes seven three-hour sessions and one evening pitch event to a small crowd of family and friends.
Artists, Growers, & Makers Business Lab
The Artists, Growers, and Makers Business Lab offers a deeper dive into business skills for product-based business owners. The course includes five five-hour sessions and one evening capstone marketplace event.
Class 1
Kickoff & Foundations
Meet your cohort, set your goals, and step into your role as an entrepreneur. Get grounded in your mission, values, and the team that will support you.
Class 1
Kickoff & Foundations
Meet your cohort, clarify your vision, and learn the essential steps for launching or strengthening your product-based business.
Class 2
Marketing & Sales I
Walk through your customer’s journey, refine your products or services, and start shaping a pricing strategy that works in the real world.
Class 2
Customers, Market, Branding & Sales Channels
Identify who buys your products, understand your market, refine your brand, and explore where to sell—online, in person, or wholesale.
Class 3
Marketing & Sales II
Explore how to get the word out—promotion, outreach, and sales channels. Learn practical ways to connect with the people you most want to serve.
Class 3
Pricing, Production & Product Strategy
Set prices that work, build a realistic production plan, and articulate your product’s features, benefits, and advantages.
Class 4
Launch Checklist & Pitches
Learn the nuts and bolts of making your business official. Practice a three-minute pitch that helps you speak clearly about your idea.
Class 4
Financial Planning & Pro Forma
Learn the basics of small business financials and build your own Profit & Loss pro forma to map out your potential revenue and expenses.
Class 5
Finance I
Demystify the numbers. Build simple profit-and-loss projections and a cash flow plan to see how your idea can work financially.
Class 5
Solving the Profitability Puzzle
Bring together everything you’ve learned to understand what drives your profit, strengthen your business model, and create a clear action plan.
Class 6
Finance II
Map out what it will really take to get started—startup costs, working capital, and possible funding sources. Begin shaping your ask.
Class 6
Capstone Marketplace Event
Share your products, practice talking about your business, and celebrate your progress with the community.
Class 7
Dress Rehearsal
Share your progress in a supportive roundtable. Get encouragement and insights that help you refine your plan before the final pitch.
Class 8
Pitch & Graduation
Step up and present your work at a community networking event. Then celebrate the journey and the new connections you’ve built.
Cost
The tuition for Business Lab is $700.
Tuition may be waived for qualifying applicants. More than 60% of Hannah Grimes clients qualify for a full scholarship. Hannah Grimes staff will let you know if you qualify during your new client appointment
Schedule
Fall: General Business Lab
- Classes: Tuesdays, September 15–October 27 | 5–8pm *No class on Tuesday, October 6
- Final Pitch Event: Tuesday, November 3 | 5–7pm
How to Apply
- Please complete our New Client Form.
- Schedule a meeting with our programs team to discuss fit for the Business Lab™.
- Fill out an application. Fall Business Lab applications due Sunday, 9/6.
- Applications will be reviewed and applicants will be contacted before the start of the class to confirm program acceptance or schedule an additional interview, if necessary.
Testimonials
Em Dewey, Garden of the Moon
I gained so much clarity through our classes! I feel like I finally came back to remembering the REAL mission behind my business, and because of that, have felt reinvigorated to keep charging ahead.
Sarah Aborn, The Yin Lounge
I highly recommend business lab for anyone ready to actualize their dreams. This experience gave me the clarity and confidence I needed to bring my vision into the world in a grounded and practical way.
Danya Landis, Machina Arts
It was a huge benefit to start building a network and to carve out space each week to discover every part of my business I would need to dive deep into understanding. Having a resource, network, and support is very crucial during this period of time. The Business Lab provided this and so much more!
Sarah Barkhouse, Vera Flora Farm
Business Lab helped me clarify my mission and values so I can communicate that more clearly to my customers. And it helped me identify the next steps to reach my goals. It was a wonderful program! I am so grateful for the opportunity to take part. It’s helped me gain focus.
Steve Roll, Rising Fellow
By the end of the Business Lab program, I had an initial business plan to help me to move forward with starting my business. Soon after, I launched my first product and am making sales! It’s exciting to go from a business idea to a running, albeit very small, business that’s creating value for customers.
Tori Chasse, Grow & Thrive Business Solutions
Business Lab has literally changed everything! Because of Business Lab I have now diversified my services, become an LLC, learned more information about who my target market is and how to go about promoting myself better.
