5 Step Business Start

What 5 Step Business Start does

5 Step Business Start, legally operated as The Prime Group, LLC, is a Pennsylvania-based private educational services company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Bala Cynwyd. The company sells a structured online course designed to guide aspiring entrepreneurs through launching a business, targeting individuals with no prior business experience who want to start a side hustle, online shop, or full-time venture, with a secondary audience of existing small business owners formalizing their operations. The flagship product is a five-step "Business In A Box" system covering Define It, Research It, Plan It, Stage It, and Start It, packaged as a registered trademark ("5 Step Business Start®").

The product is delivered through a self-serve online learning platform that combines five instructional modules, fifteen fill-in-the-blank business startup templates, and a Financial Projection Tool whose integrated financial documents auto-populate across reports. A City Cycle case study (a fictitious startup owned by "Jerry") supports applied learning, and supplementary content includes the "5 Step Business Start Power Podcasts" series on SoundCloud. The underlying technology stack is a standard learning management system rather than a differentiated platform; no APIs, SDKs, mobile apps, or AI capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is freemium and content-led: a free registration / free guide download feeds organic traffic from the blog, SEO, and social channels into course enrollment. Pricing for paid tiers is not disclosed beyond a "Free" registration tier. The company operates with 1-10 employees, is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, and is founder-owned by Earl Boyd, who also owns The Prime Group strategic planning firm and serves as Director of Entrepreneur Services at Entrepreneur Works.

Name

5 Step Business Start

Legal name

The Prime Group, LLC

Website

https://the5stepbusinessstart.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

5 Step Business Start is a Pennsylvania-based online education company that provides aspiring entrepreneurs with a five-module course, fill-in-the-blank business templates, and a Financial Projection Tool to launch businesses, primarily serving first-time founders with no prior experience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship education and small business training

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Business startup course
• Entrepreneurship education
• Business plan templates
• Financial projection tools
• Small business planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Online Course Enrollment: The primary product is the 5 Step Business Start® course containing 5 modules, business creation templates, and financial software. The course requires enrollment/login for access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

5 Step Business Start sells a self-paced online course called "5 Step Business Start®" that walks aspiring entrepreneurs through launching a business in five modules (Define It, Research It, Plan It, Stage It, Start It). The course bundles 15 fill-in-the-blank business startup templates, a Financial Projection Tool with auto-populating reports, and a City Cycle case study, supplemented by a Power Podcast series and free downloadable guides.

Product overview

5 Step Business Start is a single unified educational product—a 'Business In A Box' system designed to guide aspiring entrepreneurs through the complete process of starting a business. The core offering consists of 5 instructional Modules (Define It, Research It, Plan It, Stage It, Start It), 15 Business Start-Up Templates, and a Financial Projection Tool. Supplementary content includes a Power Podcasts series and a City Cycle case study. The system is designed as a logical progression where each step builds on the previous one, taking users from business concept to launch without requiring prior business experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 5 Step Business Start Power Podcasts: Podcast series featuring case examples of how 5 Step Business Start helps entrepreneurs determine what to do, when to do it, and how when starting or growing their business.

Products and services

• 5 Step Business Start® online course Self-paced online course that walks aspiring entrepreneurs through launching a business idea, requiring only registration/login to access modules, templates, the Financial Projection Tool, and the City Cycle case study. Targets individuals with no prior business experience who want a side hustle, online shop, or full-time business.
• 5 Step Business Start Power Podcasts Standalone podcast series that uses case examples to teach the 5-step startup methodology, available separately from the paid course to drive awareness and lead generation among aspiring entrepreneurs.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GNEC (Greater Network of Entrepreneurial Connections)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner5 Step Business Start has been featured by GNEC, indicating a partnership or mutual collaboration in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• TrueAccessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured by TrueAccess, suggesting a collaborative relationship in supporting entrepreneurs.
• Xavier UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured by Xavier University's entrepreneurial programs, indicating educational collaboration.
• Philadelphia Fashion IncubatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured by the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator as a resource for entrepreneurs in the fashion/startup ecosystem.
• Entrepreneur WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarl Boyd serves as Director of Entrepreneur Services at Entrepreneur Works, a strategic partnership connecting the 5 Step Business Start program with practical entrepreneurship support services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bplans: Bplans offers business plan templates, sample plans, and entrepreneurship education content targeted at aspiring and early-stage founders. It overlaps with 5 Step Business Start's template-led, planning-first approach and competes for the same search-driven top-of-funnel entrepreneur.
• Startups.com: Startups.com (founded by Brad Feld and others) is an online education and community platform for founders, with structured programs, coaching, and templates. It is a similar self-paced, founder-education business with a comparable funnel from content to paid cohort.
• LivePlan: LivePlan is a subscription business planning and financial projection tool with built-in guidance and templates for startups. It mirrors 5 Step Business Start's combination of planning templates plus an integrated Financial Projection Tool while adding a more developed SaaS model.
• SCORE: SCORE is a U.S. nonprofit association that provides free mentoring, workshops, and online courses for aspiring and existing small business owners. It competes directly with 5 Step Business Start for the same aspiring-entrepreneur audience but delivers via volunteer mentorship rather than a paid self-paced curriculum.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Coursera is a large online education marketplace that hosts entrepreneurship and small-business courses from universities and instructors. It is a broader incumbent whose catalog overlaps with 5 Step Business Start's curriculum but operates at a vastly larger scale and credential-driven buying motion.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): The SBA is a U.S. federal agency that runs free entrepreneur education, mentoring, and resource partner programs (SBDCs, WBCs). It is a free, institutionally backed incumbent that addresses the exact same 'how to start a business' need for aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Udemy: Udemy is a global online course marketplace with extensive entrepreneurship and small-business course inventory priced from ~$10-$200. It competes with 5 Step Business Start for the price-sensitive aspiring entrepreneur but at very low price points and with thousands of competing instructors.

Emerging players

• Kauffman Foundation FastTrac: FastTrac is the Kauffman Foundation's entrepreneurship education program, offering structured curricula for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs, often delivered through local partners. It competes in the same niche of structured entrepreneurship curriculum but leans on nonprofit and institutional delivery.
• Founders Network: Founders Network is a mentoring community and stage-specific education program for technology and startup founders. It targets a slightly later-stage founder than 5 Step Business Start but competes for the same cohort of U.S.-based first-time entrepreneurs seeking structured guidance.

Others

• Score / SalesForce Essentials (and similar CRM suites for small business): Salesforce and similar bundled SaaS platforms offer free learning content, templates, and starter tools aimed at helping small businesses launch and operate. They overlap thematically through entrepreneur education and 'business-in-a-box' tooling rather than direct course competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/5stepbizstart
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/5stepbizstart
• Facebookfacebook.com/5StepBusinessStart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5-step-business-start
• Instagraminstagram.com/5stepbusinessstart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 5 Step Business Start