Top 9 Free Online Business Courses

The most important thing to know about business is that it's always changing. There is always something new to learn about running and working in a corporation.

Whether you're being introduced to a new marketing trend or learning a new skill like bookkeeping, you'll always find ways to improve and grow as a business owner.

To that end, many people get higher education in business or participate in industry workshops and seminars. While a full degree program or a seminar across the country will cost you quite a bit, there are also some free resources to consider.

So, if you're interested in making the most out of your business expertise without breaking the bank, check out the top nine free online business courses below.

Learn How to Run Your Own Business with These Free Online Business Courses

Whether you want to learn how to start a business, what the latest marketing strategies for successful ad campaigns are, or how to manage your corporation's finances, you can find a free online business course on the subject here.

Santa Clara University Courses

Santa Clara University (SCU), a private Jesuit university in California, offers four free online business courses that, upon completion, allow you to earn a Certificate of Completion or digital badge from the university.

1. The Starting a Business Course

This course teaches you the fundamentals of business and provides you with a step-by-step guide to writing your very own business plan to ensure a successful future for your company once it's made.

2. Business Expansion Course

This course helps experienced business leaders learn more advanced business skills that can help you learn how to grow your business and help it thrive in the business world once it's established.

3. Quick Start Entrepreneur Course

This course condenses the information from the previous two courses into the most essential lessons and offers bonus lessons with extra information that isn't required for certificate completion but can be very helpful to someone running a business.

4. Sales and Marketing Badge Short Course

This course gives abbreviated lessons that include the seven most essential lessons about sales and marketing drawn from other courses that SCU offers for free and to tuition-bound students of the school.

Khan Academy Units

Khan Academy, best known for breaking down difficult topics in high school and college courses, also has free learning resources for life and career skills. Under 'Careers,' the Academy offers 15 units to learn from. Three of them, in particular, may interest you.

1. Navigate Your Career Unit

The first unit of the careers section is all about navigating your career - but how does this teach you about business?

This unit has a section entirely dedicated to advice for entrepreneurs. From how to know if a business idea is worth pursuing to what to consider when taking over an existing business, this lesson can teach you a lot about running your own business.

2. Start a Business or Go Freelance Unit

Unit six of the careers section teaches you about different careers - how people started in them, how much they make, plans for the future, and even advice for starting your own business in specific fields.

Business types and freelance careers that are part of this unit include:

• start-ups
• nonprofits
• salons
• freelance journalists
• food entrepreneurs

3. Manage People and Processes Unit

Unit 12 is all about learning to manage a company, a valuable skill for a business owner to acquire.

Future office managers, HR members, nonprofit directors, and more can learn how to navigate their jobs, secure good salaries, and make plans for the future of their careers at Khan Academy.

Alison Courses

Alison offers free online business courses to anyone who wants to learn how to succeed in today's competitive business world.

Skills and subjects Alison teaches include conflict management, customer service, risk assessment, human resources, workplace safety, and more.

Here are some of Alison's most popular courses.

1. Food Safety Certification Courses

Anyone working in the food industry needs to be up to date on their food safety certification, and that includes the owner or manager of the business.

With courses like 'Food Safety and Hygiene' or 'Food Safety Training - Safe Practices and Procedures,' future leaders can learn and test their knowledge of food safety practices regularly for free.

2. Anti-Money Laundering Courses

Businesses that exchange money with the public at large - and even some that don't - need to be aware of anti-money laundering regulations and the principles behind them.

Luckily, Alison offers free courses in just that subject: 'The Fundamental Principles to Anti-Money Laundering' and 'Introduction to Anti-Money Laundering Regulations' are both right there for business owners to take part in.

Start Learning Vital Business Concepts Online Today

Now you know about some of the top free online business courses that are available to you from colleges, nonprofits, and professional sources,

It's time to start learning the skills and concepts you need today so that you can become the ultimate business owner and entrepreneurial leader tomorrow.