BostInno
Guide: 6 (Mostly) Free Online Business Classes for Entrepreneurs
By: Lucia Maffei
While building your own company is a task that comes with no strict rulebooks, there are a few general things that every entrepreneur should know—from funding opportunities to user testing, from foundations of business strategies to elements of accounting.
For first-time entrepreneurs and people who are just getting started on a new business, Internet classes are an endless resource. Just don’t assume that you’ll have to open your wallet to get access to excellent instructors.
In the following list, we rounded up six online classes that every entrepreneur can benefit from attending: many of them are free, or have part of their class materials available for free.
And if you’re not ready to launch your own thing yet but feel the calling to be an innovator, check out the free class on how to become an entrepreneur inside a company.
So, why not to put the familiar September back-to-school vibe to good use?
How to Build a Startup
Description: In an introduction to the basics of the famous Customer Development Process, Steve Blank provides insight into the key steps needed to build a successful startup.
Created by: The Lean LaunchPad.
Platform: Udacity.
Commitment: Approx. 1 month.
Free? Yes.
Startup Funding for Entrepreneurs
Description: This course will demystify key financing concepts to give entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs a guide to secure funding.
Created by: University of Maryland, College Park.
Platform: Coursera.
Commitment: 3-5 hours/week.
Free? This course doesn’t have a 7-day full access free trial, but you can audit video lectures and some course content for free.
Foundations of Business Strategy
Description: This course will explore the underlying theory and frameworks that provide the foundations of a successful business strategy. Managers, entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, analysts, and consultants all may find value in mastering these fundamentals.
Created by: Michael Lenox, Slover Professor of Business at University of Virginia.
Platform: Udemy.
Commitment: A total of four hours is required to watch all the on-demand videos.
Free? Yes.
Design Thinking: Prototyping and User Testing
Description: Learn the importance of prototyping and user testing solutions before going to market and how to assess and evaluate solutions post-launch.
Created by: Dan Harel, Adjunct Professor, Industrial Design, Rochester Institute of Technology
Platform: edX.
Commitment: 8-12 hours per week.
Free? Yes (Option: add a verified certificate for $200).
Become an Entrepreneur Inside a Company
Description: There’s plenty of opportunity to innovate even in traditional, top-down companies – even in traditional “non-innovative” roles.
Created by: Robbie Baxter, strategy consultant.
Platform: Lynda.
Commitment: 1 hour.
Free? It can be free, but only if taken during the free month that starts LinkedIn learning subscriptions.
Financial Accounting Made Fun: Eliminating Your Fears
Description: Having a solid understanding of financial terms, statements and metrics is critical to becoming a successful entrepreneur or manager. In this finance course, you will learn how to interpret and use the information contained in financial statements to make key operating decisions, evaluate business performance, and create forecasts of profits and cash flow.
Created by: Babson College
Platform: edX.
Commitment: Four to six hours per week for four weeks (self-paced).
Free? Yes.
