Build a 90-Day Growth Plan for a Local Business
The capstone project for Local Business Growth Playbook — a free Marketing course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.
- Free
- 6 steps
- Pass mark 65%
- Graded within minutes
- Beginner-friendly
The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.
What you will submit
A written 90-day growth plan (a Google Doc, a clear typed document, or a structured text submission) covering: current numbers and chosen lever, a Google Business Profile + reviews plan, a referral + retention offer, one growth experiment with a target, and a one-page weekly dashboard.
What to do, step by step
- Pick a real or sample local Nigerian business (your own shop, salon, eatery, artisan, clinic, or a sample one) and write down its current numbers: roughly how many customers it serves, the average sale in naira, and how often regulars come back. Identify which of the 3 levers (more customers, bigger spend, more often) is easiest for this business to move and why.
- Write a 'Get Found' plan: state whether the business has a Google Business Profile, list the exact steps to create or complete it (category, photos, hours, WhatsApp), and write a plan to collect reviews — your review-ask script and a target number of reviews in 90 days.
- Design a referral + retention offer: write one clear referral offer (e.g. 'bring a friend, both get ₦500 off') and one retention move (a WhatsApp Broadcast List plan, a follow-up message you'll send, and a simple loyalty perk like 'buy 9, get the 10th free').
- Define ONE growth experiment with a specific target and a way to measure it — for example 'push a lunch combo bundle to raise average sale from ₦1,500 to ₦1,800 this month', including the tracking code or instruction you'll use to know it worked.
- Sketch your one-page dashboard: list the handful of numbers you'll track each week (customers, total sales, average sale, new reviews, referrals) and state when each week you'll do your 15-minute review.
- Pull it together into a single 90-day plan that names what you'll do in month 1, month 2 and month 3, so the plan reads as a clear, doable roadmap rather than a list of ideas.
Files to work with
Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 6 KBHow it is graded
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Current numbers and chosen growth lever are clearly stated, realistic, and justified | 20% |
| Get Found plan is concrete: Google Business Profile steps plus a specific review-ask script and target | 20% |
| Referral and retention offer are specific, low-cost, and easy for a customer to claim | 20% |
| One growth experiment has a measurable target and a stated way to track whether it worked | 25% |
| Dashboard and 90-day roadmap make the plan consistent and doable month by month | 15% |
You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.
Before you submit: make your link public
If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to finish Local Business Growth Playbook before submitting the project?
Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Local Business Growth Playbook is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.
How is the project graded?
An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.
Can I resubmit if I fail?
Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.
What do I actually submit?
A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters). You can mention a public link to supporting files in the write-up. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.
Is the certificate real?
Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.
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Ready to earn this certificate?
Local Business Growth Playbook is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.
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