More and more people are opting to establish their own businesses every year. But out of the many that have the will to set up businesses, only about 30% do so. Lack of correct information is attributed to be the main reason for this. However there is a remedy for this as more websites and universities have come up with free business courses that equip these entrepreneurs with the relevant skills. The courses are offered online which is very convenient.
The main professor Mark Juliano teaches Business Planning and Entrepreneurship courses that equip the students with skills that enable them make practical business goals and come up with ways of achieving them. The course is also available in audio version where the lectures can be accessed using the mobile phone. The course materials are handouts, PowerPoint slides and class blogs.
2. Sloan School of Management – MIT
They offer hundreds of business courses online that aims at helping entrepreneurs manage their businesses better. The free online courses are facilitated using course materials such as audio, video and other multimedia materials.
The courses include Entrepreneurial Finance which is offered at the graduate level, Development Entrepreneurship is also offered at the graduate level, Law for the Entrepreneur and Manager offered however at undergraduate level. Other courses are Introduction to Marketing and Global Entrepreneurship Lab.
This institution offers many business courses, but only two of them are free. These are Find Start-up Funding and Write a Business Plan which are both mini courses.
4. US Small Business Administration
This website offers a number of courses to entrepreneurs as to how to manage their small businesses. The courses which are self-paced take approximately 30 minutes to compete. They have a series of courses on staring a Business. A brief online registration is required at the inception of each course although this can be skipped by just clicking on the submit button at the bottom of the form. The site can be accessed through sba.gov
It’s a website that has a collection of free instructor-led online business courses. One needs to register in order to access the various courses available. These course names are Raising Capital for Your Small Business, Start-up Basics for First-time Entrepreneur and Fire Your Boss: Start Your Own Business.
This is a non-profit organization that helps new businesses succeed by offering free internet courses that consist of 14 sessions. The main course is How to Start Your Own Business that equips entrepreneurs with skills on how to set up successful businesses. Course materials include video clips, newsletters and templates. More information can be obtained from myownbusiness.com.
The institution has a small business development centre that offers a cross-section of free business entrepreneurship courses online. The courses take between 30 minutes and 3 hours. The fields covered in these courses include accounting, finance, leadership & management development, business plan workshops and small business tax courses.