Top 10 Best Online Courses to Take for Business Development in 2020

It looks like it took a virus to teach us how useful online courses are. We all knew they were out there. We all knew how important it was to learn about business development, so we would get the foundational knowledge for our practices. But we never had enough time.

Now that most of us are spending a lot of time at home, we have enough space to take some online courses.

That’s a good idea!

Business development is not easy. It’s not like you can start a brand and grow it in no time. Learning from experts will help you trace its way to success.

We’ll list a few paid and free online classes that all business owners should take.

Top 10 Online Courses for Business Development

1. Business Foundations Specialization

If you’re looking for free online classes, Coursera is the best place to get them. This specialization is provided by the Wharton School of Business.

It teaches you how to solve realistic business problems, which you’ll definitely face throughout the development of your brand. It’s a beginner course that helps you build a knowledge base in marketing, accounting, finance, and business operations.

The specialization takes around seven months to complete. But you can start learning for free, and you’ll pay to continue only if you like the program and you’re sure that you’ll get value out of it.

2. Data Science & Analytics Career Paths & Certifications: First Steps

The LinkedIn Learning platform became a major source of knowledge for beginner entrepreneurs.

No; you don’t have to get a certificate in data science to run a home-based business. But understanding the basics of data analytics will definitely help you to build a more successful brand.

This is a beginner course that doesn’t require any previous knowledge and preparations. You’ll get into the history and importance of data science, and you’ll understand how it’s used in network security, fraud detection, and marketing.

3. Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer

Not many business owners realize that writing is a huge part of business development.

Just think about it: you need an outstanding website with clear product descriptions, a detailed blog that would show up in the top Google results, a well-planned email marketing campaign, and consistent calls to action via social media. All those aspects of brand maintenance require good writing skills.

This course is available via Udemy, and it costs only $18.99. It’s provided by a former Wall Street Journal editor, who knows what type of content works for today’s audience.

4. Online Marketing Foundations

This is one of the most popular courses on LinkedIn Learning. It’s provided by Brad Batesole, CEO at Madecraft and a marketing thought leader.

Digital marketing is a broad niche. The more techniques you explore, the less you understand what works and what doesn’t work. That’s why this is one of the most important business development courses to take. You’ll learn a lot about the top three digital marketing strategies, which are proven to work for most brands.

5. How to Start Your Own Business

This specialization is provided by the Michigan State University via Coursera. It’s an elaborate program that demystifies the process of business creation and development.

It takes around eight months to complete, but keep in mind that you’ll gain in-depth knowledge once you complete the program. If you still haven’t started your business and you’re looking for the best source of information that would get you ready, this specialization is everything you need.

After the 7-day free trial that Coursera enables, you’ll pay $49 per month to continue with the course. You’ll earn a certificate when you complete the specialization.

6. Digital Marketing: Generate Leads & Convert Them to Sales

If you don’t have too much time for online courses and you want to focus on the essential ones, this is one of them.

Many people have great business ideas, but don’t know how to impose their products and services on the market. This course, provided through the Udemy platform, prepares you for that challenge. You will learn how to use different online marketing techniques to get people’s attention and turn them into paying customers for your brand.

7. AltMBA

If you’re wondering how to grow business, Seth Godin may be the right person to ask. He developed this 4-week intensive program with the intention to teach people how to accomplish their goals. It’s not a specific business course, but it can be part of your personal development that leads to a successful business.

It’s a project-intensive program based on workshops. As a student, you’ll have to complete 13 assigned projects, which will be published on the official site.

The program costs $4,450. It’s a lot. But keep in mind that if you want in-depth knowledge to grow business, this is the right place to get it.

8. The Personal MBA: The Foundation of Effective Business

Maybe an MBA degree is not necessary for starting a business, but let’s face it: the knowledge you gain through such a program definitely prepares you for the challenges you’re about to face.

This online course is tailored to give you the knowledge you’d gain through an MBA program, but in a much more digestible way. It’s provided by Josh Kaufman, a well-known business author.

The class costs $29. But if you sign up for a membership on the CreativeLive platform, you’ll gain access to this course and many other courses for only $13 per month.

9. Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator

This is one of the best free online classes available on Coursera. It’s provided by Yale University, and it’s completely free if you don’t want the certificate.

The title of this course explains what the program is about. You’ll learn how to be a Master negotiator.

Throughout the development of your business, you’ll negotiate with employees, business partners, and customers. You’ll encounter conflicts that you’ll have to solve. This online course prepares you for those situations.

10. Art of the Start: Turning Ideas into High-Growth Businesses

This course is available through Skillshare. It’s provided by Guy Kawasaki, and that fact alone is enough to prove that it’s one of the best online classes to take.

Guy teaches you how to turn a thoughtful idea into a productive business.

You’ll get 14 video lectures that inspire you to grow your idea, attract investors, and make it attractive for your target audience.

Skillshare has a great trial period of two months! You don’t even need to provide banking information to get started. The monthly price for Premium membership is $15. If you pay for an entire year, it will cost you $99.

Start Learning!

Business growth is not just about following your instincts.

It’s about having the knowledge that warns you if your instincts are right. It’s about getting direction for implementing strategies that are sure to work.

There are plenty of affordable and free online classes to explore. Use this opportunity to gain knowledge that takes your business towards growth.